


Daniel LaRusso and the ex-Cobras

by Wolf___Spirit



Category: Cobra Kai (Web Series), Karate Kid (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Best Friends, Daniel LaRusso has his own team of bodyguards, Daniel LaRusso is a natural mother to his cobras, F/M, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Miyagi-Do - Freeform, More tags will be added as the story progresses, No beta we die like a men, Post Movie: The Karate Kid (1984), Redemption of characters, Teen! Lawrusso, lawrusso
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-24
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-03-16 22:15:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 20,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28963770
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wolf___Spirit/pseuds/Wolf___Spirit
Summary: The ex-cobras, adrift from since the tournament, decide to apologize to Daniel. The result of this could become much more than any of them expected.
Relationships: Ali Mills/Tommy (Karate Kid), Bobby Brown & Daniel LaRusso, Daniel LaRusso & Johnny Lawrence, Daniel LaRusso/Johnny Lawrence, Dutch & Daniel LaRusso, Gang of ex-cobras, Jimmy (karate kid) & Daniel LaRusso, Tommy (karate kid) & Daniel LaRusso
Comments: 114
Kudos: 193





	1. "Things change"

**Author's Note:**

> I have many plans for this, we will see what we find along the way.
> 
> English is not my first language, so I apologize for any flaws in the text that you may find. Thanks for reading <3

After the tournament, Johnny didn't see any of his friends in five days.

The last time they saw each other was in the parking lot, when LaRusso's sensei saved him and humiliated Kreese. Jimmy was so scared that after he quickly checked that they were all alive, he had run away. Dutch was furious, furious with Kreese and also Johnny, but especially with himself for having done nothing but turn around so as not to have to watch his friend hurt, and he left was insulting and hitting things. Bobby had cried, still talked that he could hear how LaRusso's leg had gone under his blow and since he should never have obeyed Kreese, he helped Johnny get up off the ground and then left: he had to talk to his parents. Tommy stayed with Johnny longer, got him a bottle of water and kept quiet until Johnny seemed able to move to leave. Then he left with a farewell too short and Johnny was left alone. He returned home alone with the shuddering shadow of Kreese's arms around his neck.

And now, having hid in his house for the weekend and taking another three extra days, it's the first time he dares to go out without risking confusing any sturdy silhouettes on the street with that of his ex-sensei, who had begun to torment him in his nightmares.

Worst of all, there were still six months left before school was finished and Johnny couldn't keep making excuses for his mother to let him continue to miss school. And Sid was on top of him like a fucking vulture about his long-awaited choice of future and all the shit he, a _loser_ (he won't really discuss the loser part, he is literally one), must decide. Then he doesn't feel like hiding in his house either.

So this morning he got on his motocycle and drove to school. The others were there, silent and restless at first, but still by their side. None of them wore the kai cobra jackets or headbands on their foreheads anymore. They left Cobra Kai after the tournament, there was no doubt about that. Dutch came right after him, grimacing at his tense face, and avoided Johnny's gaze most of the time, but stayed. That gave Johnny some relief: He still had them, his gang. And having lost Ali and karate, they were all I had.

"Dude, you didn't miss anything" Tommy was the first to speak, patting friendly pats on his shoulder. "Well, except for the ratings updates. You're totally failing math"

Johnny made a face. "Shit" but actually, the tension in his shoulders relaxed quite a bit. This was safe ground, the typical conversations to have with his friends.

"If it makes you feel any better, I'm failing chemistry, " offered Jimmy kindly.

Dutch grunt, he was probably failing at least half the lessons. He always said school wasn't for him.

The bell rang at the time and Johnny found LaRusso in his vision when he looked ahead. His expression quickly went from being relaxed to adopting a grimace of guilt: LaRusso appeared to be having a battle between his backpack and the crutches he wore under his arms. In his left leg he wore a rather ostentatious splint immobilizing his knee. Yes, guilty was the right word. Now that he saw everything from the outside, the teachings of his sensei were always a bit sick, and they willingly implemented them with the new boy. LaRusso saw them, with no expression on his face, and then entered the school somewhat wobbly without taking a second look at them.

"It's also his first day back," Bobby told Johnny, seeing what he was looking at.

Johnny shook his head, without looking away from LaRusso until LaRusso disappeared down the main entrance into the hallway. "I don't care" but I knew I was lying.

Bobby sighed, obviously without believing him. Of course, Bobby was like his conscience or something, he could never fool him.

"By the way, guys, " Bobby spoke to everyone this time. "There's something I want to tell you later, it's important. Will I see you here?"

The others looked at each other a little confused that Bobby felt the need to schedule a Meeting, when it was common for them to meet on the way out, one of those little agreements.

"Of course" Tommy nodded.

"All right" Jimmy shrugged.

"Fine" Johnny patted him on the shoulder.

"Whatever you say, Brown" Dutch shook his head, still sounding distant from the rest.

Bobby nodded satisfied.

The five entered in as a unit, as usual, and were pretty good at ignoring other people's comments ( _"Those are the thugs, they're crazy" "I heard they were the ones who ruined the new kid's leg"_ ).

Johnny had to assume that things had changed more than he thought at first.

* * *

It was inevitable not to see LaRusso throughout the day, they shared almost every class.

Johnny hold his breath every time he saw him grimace in pain, trip on or fight with their crutches. It struck him that he wasn't glued to Ali as he thought he would be, he saw them talking amicably between periods, but really they didn't spend too much time together. At the end of the day, he realized that he didn't even know what classes he had had, because he didn't take off Daniel LaRusso's gaze all day.

Shit, shit, how could the kid keep bothering him even without doing anything?

And maybe that was the problem. Not that Johnny would have thought much of it, but he thought that when he came back, LaRusso would rub his win in his face or shit like that (he would have made it all easier), but no, he just ignored it, he pretended Johnny wasn't there.

Damn, what an irritating guy.

* * *

"You're crazy, Brown" Dutch growled hostilely.

They were on the beach. They had decided to go talk there after meeting at the exit.

Bobby did not hesitate before the threatening look of Dutch. "It's the right thing to do. It's _the least_ we can do, after all we did to him."

"We left him alone, didn't we? Isn't that enough?" Tommy pointed with a grimace in his face. Jimmy nodded beside him, agreeging with him.

Bobby fervently shook his head. "He deserves an apology, and also that we give thanks to his sensei"

"I don't have to say shit to any of them" Dutch see him with fire in his eyes and stepped up to Bobby. Bobby didn't move.

"We made his life hell, _I broke his leg_ , and everything why? Because of a shitty philosophy of a sick man we made the mistake of calling sensei?" Bobby affirmed with conviction. "Daniel's sensei if it's a real sensei"

" _Yes_ _, of course_. And a shit"

"Saved Johnny's life, it's more than any of us ever did."

Dutch recoiled as if Bobby's words had been a physical blow, and the heat in his eyes went out, put his hands in his pockets and he sulked, deflecting his gaze.

Then Johnny said, "I agree with Bobby."

Everyone present looked at him with surprise.

"Are you?" Jimmy and Tommy babbled in their direction.

"Are you?" Bobby looked at him with sincere surprise.

Johnny shrugged and kicked some sand with his foot, trying to look carefree. “I mean, we're not going to ask LaRusso marry with us or anything like that, it's just an apology. Kreese... the guy was sick, and maybe we got a little carried away with LaRusso" _quite a bit_. Johnny didn't tell the truth at all, he didn't say how his stomach twisted to see LaRusso swing down the aisles with one leg, or as he still thought of Kreese's arms around his neck and how close he came to...

"What if we go there and the old man beats us up again?" Tommy winceded, wrinkling his nose.

"He's not going to do that, Tommy, " Bobby said for sure. "We're not going to look for a fight, just apologize."

"Do you really think he will forgive us?" Jimmy asked, insecure.

"That doesn't matter, does it?" Johnny says. "At least we'll have taken it out of our system. Debt paid"

Johnny hopes, he really hopes, that after apologizing, he can stop thinking a little bit about Daniel LaRusso and stop feel that jumble in his stomach every time he sees it. Though deep down, he knows an apology doesn't sound like enough.

"We apologize because it's the right thing to do, not because we expect something in return," Bobby said.

"Where'd you get that? The Bible?" Tommy laughed and Bobby's ears red.

"Maybe"

Johnny looked at Dutch then, who was still sulky, sitting on the sand, and gave him a touch with his foot. "Dutch?"

Dutch grunt and eventually rose from the sand. When he looked Johnny in the eye, Johnny knew they were still friends, that Dutch would still follow him anywhere. He left cobra kai just like them, after all. It felt good to know I was backing him up.

"Well, shit, let's do it."

They all smiled and patted each other on the back amicably. They agreed that they would find LaRusso tomorrow to apologize after school, and if everything went well, maybe they would get him to tell them where to find Mr. Miyagi.

And if Johnny couldn't sleep in the night of how anxious he was, no one had to know, right?


	2. “Looking for LaRusso”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Johnny and the boys can't believe it's so hard to find a boy who literally walks on crutches.   
> Daniel receives a "surprise".

So this whole apology thing seemed so much easier when they talked about it the day before. Now, between pride and shame, just looking at LaRusso made them jump out of their seats in class.

The boy still wasn't paying them any attention, other than a sideways glance in the hallways. He was probably avoiding them on purpose. Thinking about it made Johnny feel strange, and he realized that he wanted to talk to LaRusso even more, so that he would stop believing that they would jump on him if he dared to appear in his way. They had a deal: The boy won the tournament _(with a_ _broken_ _leg_ ), so they would respect him _(Johnny still_ _dreamed_ _of that_ _kick_ _to the_ _face_ _, and the_ _moment_ _after_ _,_ _when_ _he_ _handed_ _him_ _the_ _trophy_ ...). They could ignore each other after Daniel found out.

If only Daniel LaRusso weren't so fucking hard to ignore, of course.

* * *

The original plan was to intercept Daniel outside of school.

Obviously, the original plan failed miserably.

"How the hell did we lose it?" Johnny grunted, looking in all directions through the tide of students leaving the establishment. "The guy wears _crutches_ "

Jimmy shook his head in dismay. "I didn't even notice when he left the classroom"

"Damn ninja, do you think he is part of that Chinese training that the old man gives him? How does he camouflage?" Tommy theorized, leaning on Jimmy.

Dutch crossed his arms over his chest in annoyance. He wasn't particularly a fan of this whole of LaRusso apology thing, but now he had a mission, and shit he did fulfill his missions. "Fuck with the little elusive"

"Maybe they came for him? Or did he take the bus?" Bobby sighed. It was Friday, which meant they wouldn't have another chance to speak to LaRusso until _after_ the weekend. Unless ... "What if we go to his house?" he suggested it.

"We don't know where he lives, genius" Tommy pointed out, rolling his eyes.

Johnny stopped looking in all directions, surrendering, and returned his gaze to the conversation.

"I know who should know" Bobby stated in response to Tommy, looking ahead.

Johnny followed the path of his gaze and met… "Oh no, no no no no" He shook his head in disbelief. "We are not asking Ali for LaRusso's address."

Just a few meters from them, the blonde laughed along with her friends, their backpacks slung over their shoulders. Johnny gulped. He hadn't spoken to Ali since the club, and he certainly was a jerk at the tournament. So, there was a good chance that she would land another right hook before he could say "hi."

"Why not? She must probably be the only one who knows."

"Dude, she'll think we want to raid LaRusso's house or something," Johnny said, still having an internal panic at the very idea of having an exchange of words with Ali Mills.

Don't get it wrong, he doesn't feel anything for her anymore, no more jerks in the stomach in the hallways of her seeing her and no more jealousy. But he's definitely still embarrassed, which is a problem. And Johnny Lawrence has a philosophy for dealing with problems that has worked quite well so far: If you can't punch your problems in the face, ignore them until they disappear.

That's what he planned to do with Ali (and LaRusso, when punching him in the face was no longer an option).

"Johnny should go talk to her" Jimmy pointed out. Johnny scored to hit him hard on the back of the head later. "Right, Tommy?"

Tommy blinked at them when he heard his name. "Eh, yes, no, what?" he looked like he was staring at Ali and her friends like a fool. Who knows which of them he was drooling over.

"If you don't decide, then I'll go there, bunch of cowards" Dutch growled wearily.

"No!" his four friends exclaimed at once, horrified at the image of Dutch _asking_ Ali for something. Everyone knows that Dutch doesn't actually ask for things, he takes them, and everyone wants to finish the school year without going to prison, thank you very much.

"I'll ask her" Bobby sighs. It's probably the best idea, since he's the only one really good with the words of all of them.

Johnny crosses his arms over his chest as he watches Bobby move towards Ali. He knows that he must look like an idiot, hiding with his friends while he sends another to find what they need.

However, he really hopes Ali will give them the LaRusso address, because Johnny doesn't think he can endure a whole weekend with little Jersey punk on his head.

(As if LaRusso hadn't been in his head for months)

* * *

Ali doesn't give them the address, which was obvious in hindsight. However, she doesn't hit Bobby and doesn't give them more than one suspicious look before she leaves so can you call it a draw? Maybe half a win?

So the group takes the next obvious step: They intercept Freddy Fernandez and threaten him for information. Well, Dutch threatens him, Tommy is vocal shit, Bobby shakes his head disapprovingly and Johnny intimidates with his stance while Jimmy watch the surroundings.

Fernandez is kind of an idiot anyway, so they don't feel too much guilt about that.

So now they have the address. Johnny feels his stomach in his throat and hates himself for having so many reactions as a child in one day.

They get on the motorcycles and drive to Reseda.

* * *

Johnny could swear Lucille LaRusso was literally five seconds from pulling out the broom to hit them when she saw them at the door.

"What do you want?" she asked, posture erect and jaw clenched.

"We're looking for Daniel" Bobby asserted, but all of his natural kind and sweet boy aura didn't work on Daniel's mother, probably because it was Bobby who took his son's leg out in the first place.

"They promised they would leave my son alone. If they keep doing this I ..."

"We just want to apologize," Johnny interrupted, putting himself between Bobby (who looked like a cornered baby puppy) and Daniel's mother. "For ... for everything. It wasn't right. We know now. We all left the dojo and we won't bother him. more. Just ... can we talk to him? " Johnny put on his best country club boy eyes and added, "Please?"

Daniel's mother looked at him seriously, then at the others, and her look finally softens

"I'm glad they left that horrible place," she said.

They all nodded their heads as a unit.

"We're so sorry," Bobby said, totally soft.

She nodded her head. "It's not in me to forgive them" she said. "And it seems that they came with the best of intentions, but Daniel is not here"

Oh fuck, of course. The boy has been in Johnny's way wherever he looks, and just when he needs to find him, he vanishes like damn smoke.

"Do you know where we can find it?" Johnny asked, not wanting to give up now.

She looked at them, doubtful for a second, but then sighed, went into the house and came out with a piece of paper that she handed to Johnny.

"He's there with Mr. Miyagi, it's the place where he trained" she explains, giving them a smile that doesn't really reach her eyes. But hey, he gave them the address, that's enough.

"Thank you, Mrs. LaRusso"

She closes the door and they leave the apartment complex.

"We will go?" Tommy asks with a look of uncertainty on his lips.

This time, Johnny has an answer.  
He raises his eyebrows at his friends with a goofy grin. "We already got here, right?"

Everyone nods and Johnny is secretly glad that they are still looking at him like he's some kind of leader, that they are still watching his back.

"If LaRusso isn't there, i'll give you a kick the butt" Dutch warned her, but there was no real anger behind her words.

Johnny gave him a shove on the shoulder. "I'd like to see you try"

Tommy whistled enthusiastically. Jimmy laughed and Bobby shook his head with a smile.

Johnny felt good for the first time since the tournament.

* * *

After a couple of silly laps on motorcycles, they finally found the Mr. Miyagi supposed dojo.

If Johnny could be honest, the place was pretty, but it looked like one of those zen places from those pond gardening magazines with statues and decorative shit his mom had. Not a place to practice karate. But hey, he wasn't here to judge the scenery.

"It's unbelievable" Jimmy said, looking around as the group entered.

"I told them, you must teach him ninja shit here" Tommy pointed out. "This place is just like the one in the ninja movie we saw in the summer"

"Those were samurai, Tommy" Bobby corrected kindly, and then advanced the pace.

"Tsk" Dutch rolled up the collar of his jean jacket and didn't look anywhere but the front.

As they got closer, they began to hear noises. They were soft, little footprints on the gravel. They circled this kind of wooden house, Johnny leading the group, and then they discovered where the sounds were coming from.

Johnny stopped short and the others half crashed to a halt behind him, but he didn't even feel it.

There was Daniel LaRusso, in a way Johnny had never seen him. A fringe of hair fell over her headband, blown by the wind. His eyes were closed, his girlish lips parted and his concentrated expression. He was standing without crutches, but they were right next to him, leaning on a wooden pole. The leg on which he was wearing the splint was slightly raised off the ground and the other supported his full weight, as if he were balanced. With his arms she made slow, calculated movements, like a rehearsed routine. He looked so serene and calm ... he looked ... _beautiful_.

Johnny was not prepared for this. He was used to the bigmouth Daniel, hyperactive and always on fire. He was speechless, looking at him with an idiotic face.

But of course Tommy still kept his vocal ability to the max: “Hey! LaRusso! "

And so the spell was broken. Daniel opened his eyes surprised, lowering his arms, and saw them with those huge brown deer eyes in the headlights.

Johnny raised his hand and greeted him foolishly, not realizing what he was really doing. When he did, he quickly reached into his pocket.

LaRusso staggered back. Which led him put his left leg on the ground, which he obviously shouldn't do, because his face contorted in a wince of pain and he fell sitting inelegantly on his rear.

 _Shit_.

Well, no one could tell that Johnny and his group didn't know how to make an entrance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A coin for the thoughts Daniel is having right now, please. 
> 
> In the next one we finally see them interact <3


	3. “One deal, one chance”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daniel is unsure about them.   
> Johnny and his friends have always been better with actions than words, so they are willing to show that they mean it.

"What the hell are they doing here ?!" Daniel exclaimed from the ground, his high-pitched voice sounding more annoyed than scared.

Bobby tried to move forward to help him up, but seeing Daniel instinctively step back, he stopped midway and instead raised his hands and said, "We don't want a fight."

Daniel frowned and his gaze on fire met Johnny's.

"So what? Do you expect me to believe they came to Mr. Miyagi's dojo by chance?" Daniel mumbles, standing up. It seems that the action costs him like hell, but he does not give up. He maintains his upright posture once he is standing. _There_ _he is_ , Johnny thinks, _the_ _same_ _stubborn_ _bastard_ _who_ _won_ _the_ _tournament_ _._

"We were looking for you" Johnny clarifies, recovering his voice.

Daniel looks at them warily, his posture defensive. "What for ...? No, you shouldn't be here, this is Mr. Miyagi's place. Wait, how come you guys are here in the first place?"

"Your mother gave us the address" Johnny clarifies, because Daniel looks at him when he asks the questions, so he assumes that the boy expects him to answer.

Daniel's frown deepens. This is not going well.

"She never ..."

"Daniel-san, what is it?" Mr. Miyagi peeks out from inside the little house. His slight expression frowns slightly in confusion when he notices the presence of the five ex-bullies. "Oh, visits"

Johnny can clearly feel Tommy and Jimmy hiding behind him when they see the old man (although they will later deny that they did). However, the old man does not seem angry as Johnny thought he would look when he saw them, but rather he seems to be sincerely curious.

"They were already leaving, Mister Miyagi" Daniel say through clenched teeth, clearly driving them out of the way. "Right guys?"

Now, Johnny could take the easy path and turn around where he came from. He would convince Bobby that the attempt is what he counts, and the other boys would probably back him up. But his gaze keeps dropping to the splint on LaRusso's leg and _he_ _can't_ , he can't leave now.

So when Bobby opens his mouth to speak, Johnny steps forward first.

"Actually, we came to apologize," he says, and god, this is kind of weird isn't it? When was the last time Johnny Lawrence apologized to ... whoever he was?

The other boys, along with Johnny nod their heads to confirm his words. Even Dutch does.

LaRusso looks at them as if they have each grown a second head and then giggles incredulously that makes his front teeth protrude a little. "They must be kidding."

"We don't. It's the truth" Bobby says this time. "We should never ... I should never have listened to Kreese"

Daniel looks at Johnny, which probably makes sense, because it was between Daniel and Johnny that most of the things happened. Johnny raises his hands in peace and says, "Sorry. For everything. We want to do it fine right now. Want you know that."

Daniel's posture didn't relax one iota, although his expression tilted slightly. "I don't need his apology now," he finally said, his voice hardened from his. "I don't want them. I don't need to know ..."

"Daniel-san" Miyagi suddenly spoke. Johnny had almost forgotten that the old man was there. "Come here a moment"

Daniel seemed to want to protest, but in the end he didn't. He simply nodded and walked over to the old man. He didn't take the crutches from him, even though he obviously needed them, and he stubbornly walked across the gravel favoring his right leg. He probably preferred the pain to looking weak, Johnny could relate to that.

They spoke silently at the door for a while. Try as he might, Johnny couldn't hear what they were saying.

"Shouldn't we go?" Tommy muttered. "He doesn't want our apologies, so ..."

"No." Johnny shook his head, not taking his eyes off Daniel's back. "Wait"

Before anyone could say anything, Daniel turned to them again. He was still looking at them suspiciously, but there was something different in his eyes now, Johnny couldn't tell what it was, but it was _something_.

"Okay" he said then, softly. "What do you want me to know?"

Johnny almost smiled. "We left Cobra Kai" he said. "We promise not to cause you trouble again."

Daniel raised his eyebrows, but now his expression was almost playful, not harsh. "How can I trust you?"

"We can prove it, if it makes you happy, princess" Johnny said. Bobby nudged him. However, LaRusso rolled his eyes and a strange smile formed on his lips.

"Then you can come tomorrow at eleven o'clock" he stated. "Mr. Miyagi will need help to build the new shed."

"Here we will be" Johnny answered instantly. Again, it seemed like it was just LaRusso and him, facing each other, just the two of them, just like on the tournament mat ( _only this time no one was going to hit anyone's knee or kick in the face_ ).

"Good, then until tomorrow" said Daniel, with that shit-eating smile on his face.

"See you tomorrow, LaRusso" Johnny replied, turned on his heel and started to leave the place.

Bobby, Tommy and Jimmy waved goodbye to Daniel and Mr. Miyagi, while Dutch gave them a short nod.

"What has happened?" Jimmy asked, once they were outside.

Johnny looked at them all. "We are men of action, right? Not wordies. So let's show LaRusso we're sorry" and to reinforce his point, he struck her palm with his fist.

Bobby smiled, shaking his head. He hoped he could talk to Daniel alone for a moment tomorrow. Men of action or not.

"But tomorrow is my cousin's christening." Tommy pouted. Dutch grabbed him by the shirt and gave him a warning look because of course Dutch agreed with the idea of physical labor. Tommy released himself from his grasp and shook his head. "I didn't want to go to cousin's christening anyway."

And so it was decided.

Johnny discovered that it felt good that for once in his life someone would give him the opportunity to show that he could do better.

 _He_ _would_ _do_ better.

* * *

Daniel flopped down on the couch in his house, exhausted. He was trying not to take painkillers, they made him feel slow and heavy, and the first day he had enough of them to not remember anything at all. He didn't like to feel like he was losing control of himself. However, his leg was actually killing him today, so he took one for this time. He still felt that the situation with Johnny and his gang in Mr. Miyagi's place had been surreal, definitely something he didn't think would happen even in his wildest imaginations.

When he first saw them, he had obviously been upset. Those guys had made his life hell since he came to California, they were the reason that he now had to walk with those crutches from hell that got tangled up in absolutely everything. However, after talking to Mr. Miyagi, his anger subsided: They only had a bad teacher, and although he did not give them a free pass to do what they did, they were apologizing. Daniel still remembered, shuddering, what happened in the parking lot after the tournament, the scared faces of all of them, the fear and the fight of Johnny when _his own sensei_ was drowning him. They also suffered. Johnny suffered.

So Daniel was willing to put him in the past and tell them yes, he accepted his apology, that he was fine, water under the bridge. However, Mr. Miyagi had another idea, which resulted in the reason that tomorrow they would have the five boys at the dojo again to work in the shed.

Daniel did not understand what Mr. Miyagi meant by telling him to ask them that. Although, well, Daniel never understood most of the things that Mr. Miyagi told him to do at first, but then the answers would open up before his eyes and they were always good results, so he trusted him.

And actually, it wouldn't hurt to see cobras either, sorry, ex-cobras, sweat a bit for a change.

Daniel fell asleep that night seeing in his dreams the way Johnny Lawrence's blue eyes looked at him when he said goodbye to him, not knowing why he couldn't stop looking at him over and over again.

 _See you tomorrow, LaRusso_.

And, deep down...

_You're okay, LaRusso. Good match._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The show begins. Both Daniel and the boys are trying. Mr. Miyagi has a plan, what will it be?


	4. "Maybe not friends but definitely not enemies"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bobby talks to Daniel alone and Johnny doesn't know what to think about it.   
> The ex-cobras begin their work in the shed and begin to discover that not all authority figures are like Kreese.

A part of Daniel still thought they wouldn't show up.

I mean, yes, they came to apologize yesterday, but nothing forced them to have to come today and _prove_ something, not to him. However, Mister Miyagi was absolutely sure that they would. "Patience, Daniel-san. They will come" he said.

Daniel has never been a very patient person. In fact, he is a very energetic and quite anxious person. So if he doesn't find something to occupy himself with, he could literally explode here.

So since the amount of things he can spend his energy on with a single functional leg is very limited, and that he prefers not to do yesterday's kata to avoid being surprised again, Daniel brews tea (not really supposed let it move a lot but then again it doesn't want to explode here). He is pouring two cups when someone peeks out the door.

"Daniel?"

It's Bobby Brown. Daniel deeply hides the disappointment that, for some reason, he expected him to be Johnny. After the words they exchanged yesterday and that look in his eyes just ... It doesn't matter.

Daniel looks at the clock on the wall. 10:45 a.m. "You came before" he points out.

Bobby scratches the back of his neck, somewhat embarrassed? "Yes, I wanted to talk to you first"

"Oh" Daniel blinks in his direction, not sure what to do with this. A part of him still sets off alarms from having him so close to his safe space, but he pushes that part away quickly.

Bobby makes a face. "I understand. I ... can wait outside," he says, turning around when he sees that he doesn't get a response from Daniel.

"Bobby, wait" Daniel tries, not really knowing what he's doing, but remembering that this is the same boy who tried to defend him on Halloween and shouted his apologies at the tournament. "Do you want ... uh ... some tea?" he offers, doubtful.

Bobby wrinkles his nose in confusion. Probably because Daniel must look like an old man or a freak offering him _tea_. But he finally nods, taking off his shoes at the door and walking into the room.

"Yes, that would be good"

* * *

Johnny parks the motorcycle outside Mr. Miyagi's dojo-house at exactly eleven in the morning with two minutes. Jimmy is already there, sneaking glances inside the place, specifically at the tarps on the sides of the gravel driveway that seem to cover something, maybe cars? Johnny hadn't noticed them the day before.

Tommy comes almost right behind him, talking about the last football game screened on TV and the shit that coach had been.

Dutch arrives shortly after Tommy. Johnny start to get impatient. Something tells him that the old man probably likes punctuality. And Bobby doesn't show up.

"Where the hell is Bobby?" he asks through clenched teeth.

If anyone was going to be missing, he thought it would be Dutch or even Tommy, but definitely not Bobby.

"We should go in, Bobby will catch up with us" Jimmy said.

Johnny nodded, swallowing his nerves like a man. He shouldn't forget why he was here.

The four of them came in together, pausing a bit because Jimmy and Dutch really wanted to look at what was under the tarps.

"They're late" Mr. Miyagi spoke, suddenly in front of them.

Fuck it, Johnny jumped on the spot. What the hell? How did you not hear the old man coming?

Jimmy and Dutch dropped the tarp and quickly settled next to Tommy and Johnny in a sort of neat row with their backs straight.

"Sorry sir" they said in unison, seriously.

Mr. Miyagi, however, did not seem bothered at all. He shook his head with a strange grin that almost looked like... Compression?

"No soldiers here. No apologies. You'll be on time next time, that's all" said the old man.

Johnny bit his tongue to keep from saying "yes sir." Old habits die hard.

"Good" he finally nodded, relaxing his posture but not letting his guard down.

"Come this way. The work is behind" Mr. Miyagi turned and started walking into the dojo, as if he was absolutely sure that they would follow him. And they did. "Another friend is early. He's already in."

Oh, so Bobby was already here. He could have waited for them instead of just coming in, so they wouldn't be left outside waiting for him like assholes.

They follow Mr. Miyagi, walking in single file to the area behind, where the frame of the structure for the shed is already made. At that moment, Bobby peeks out from the entrance of the house, he's smiling like an idiot and... talking to LaRusso? The worst part is that Daniel smiles back at her, like they had a nice conversation or some shit. Johnny looks at them with rays in his eyes, not knowing why his mouth tastes bitter at the thought of Bobby and LaRusso alone. Maybe it's because Bobby is his closest friend, he doesn't want LaRusso to steal it from him, that's all ...

Daniel watches them from the entrance, leaning on his crutches. He nods his head in his direction in a kind of low-key, alert greeting. They return the nod of the head. Bobby gets to them then.

"I thought we'd meet outside before we went in" Johnny mutters to Bobby, his teeth clenched.

"I had to say something to Daniel first" is all Bobby responds, you fucking enigmatic bastard. Johnny is about to take him by the shirt and force him to tell him every detail of what they talked about when the old man begins to give them the instructions. Well, he will do it later.

* * *

They work nonstop until lunchtime, where they receive... What did LaRusso say their names were? Onig-something? Well, never mind, they were basically some kind of rice balls, which everyone eats like they haven't eaten in weeks. They like physical work and, thanks to their old training in the dojo, they have considerable stamina, so the work is not extremely difficult for them. Also, since they no longer have the dojo to pour out their energy, this is good.

They don't see much of Daniel while they work, something Johnny is secretly disappointed in. He won't admit it even if his fingernails are ripped apart, but he hoped he could see him practicing that thing he was doing the day before, balancing with his arm movements, like some kind of modified kata. He's only seen kata in tournament demos, Kreese called that exercise _useless and weak shit_ so they never practiced it. Yet remembering LaRusso doing it, the concentration and the serenity on his face, it's ... he really doesn't know what it is, but he wants to see it again.

At some point in the afternoon, LaRusso limps up to them with a tray of iced tea ( _really? Tea?_ ). He knows the boy is enjoying watching them sweat and work all day, but it's probably fair enough, so he won't blame him.

"How are your virgin Encino hands, Johnny?" Daniel asks with that shit-eating smile on his face.

"Fuck you, LaRusso" he replies, sipping his tea (is that in his glass a _lemon wedge_? Who is it? His grandmother?), but he can't help but smile slightly.

LaRusso bows mockingly to them, the little bastard, and then limps away back to the house.

Tommy whistles, like a vulture smelling tension. Bobby and Jimmy hide smiles in his tea and Dutch gulps down his glass, gulping down everything including the lemon wedge. 

And the fact that that interaction that long ago would have ended in a fight or a beating, now ends in a simple exchange of equals, makes Johnny feel that this is worth it: They are not friends, but neither are they enemies, not anymore, never again.

They don't need to talk about it out loud, he's determined: They're coming back tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prepare for a little timeskip.   
> Thanks for reading <3


	5. "Small steps"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They begin to understand Mr. Miyagi's plan. Daniel and Johnny get a little closer. Bobby is the neuron of the group.

They return the next day, and then the next, working on school days only in the afternoon. After a week, Daniel begins to soften with them, appears more around the patio and speaks to them to say other things and not just sharp or slightly malicious comments. He's less defensive around them, even practicing that strange modified kata again in his presence. And it's... funny. Johnny already knew the kid had a big big mouth, but it turns out that LaRusso really has the knack of saying ten thousand words per minute, and he has some really funny comments that one day ended with Tommy accidentally spilling paint on Jimmy when he started laughing.

The problem is that after a week, the tool shed is ready. They even painted it the specific way that Mr. Miyagi wanted it to be: Daniel had had this strange little knowing smile the entire time as he watched as Mr. Miyagi gave them the instructions to sand and then paint, but when they asked LaRusso, all he did was shrug in feigned ignorance.

Then it was the end, and Johnny was seriously considering removing some critical piece from the shed just to have another week of work. Coming to the place of Mr. Miyagi makes him feel useful, and united with his friends as they have not been since the events of the tournament. And there's LaRusso, which is like those cool surprises that come in cereal boxes. They still ignore each other at school, as a kind of unspoken agreement about the difference between getting along and being friends, ex-cobras on one side and LaRusso on the other. Johnny started to notice that apart from Ali, the kid doesn't really have people to hang out with, and that's probably his fault a little bit, you know, the popular ones at school targeting a new guy makes people not want to get close to that guy (although they aren't especially popular now).

They were now in the courtyard watching his finished work as Mr. Miyagi nodded approvingly. "Good job" he said with a soft smile. "You guys wait here. Get something" and he headed back to the house.

It was strange. When was the last time they were congratulated for doing something right? Kreese said congratulations were for little girls, who never did it well enough to deserve them anyway. The change was good.

"I can't believe I'm going to say it, but I'll miss coming here," Tommy admitted, leaning on Johnny's shoulder.

"It's a good place" Bobby nodded, smiling slightly.

Jimmy nodded in agreement. Dutch just shrugged, looking at the shed and pounding his fists to the sides (everyone had noticed that he still looked a bit lost without Kreese's guidance).

Daniel left the house at that moment, with a pencil over each ear and his hair tousled. He seemed to master crutches better now, the ones he had to use, he had reluctantly put it, for _at least_ four more weeks. He looked the shed up and down with those brown deer eyes that were unfairly bright.

"Looks good," he pointed out sincerely, leaning a little in favor of his good leg. And then he added with raised eyebrows: "Are you sure they didn't remove some screws so that it falls on us when we open the door?"

Jesus, this guy's paranoia.

"Fuck you, LaRusso, I'm doing my job well," Dutch snapped, to everyone's surprise. He's the only one so far who has almost completely avoided speaking to Daniel.

"Besides, if we wanted to kill you, there would be easier ways to do it" Tommy added with a smile. He never keeps his mouth shut when it comes to these kinds of exchanges.

Daniel rolled his eyes. "Of course, my mistake"

Johnny realized from looking at him that he was gripping his crutch too tightly and a sudden wave of guilt washed over him. Would he feel pain? All the time? There were times when he wanted to ask her, but the truth is that he wasn't sure if he wanted to hear the answer.

Mr. Miyagi comes back and brings ... is that a key? He stretches out his hand and extends it: "Johnny-san" he says.

Johnny straightens his back, very straight on the spot. He doesn't know what that "san" refers to, but until now he had only heard the old man call LaRusso that. He felt like some kind of honor, somehow. He reached out and slowly took the key that had a red string attached to it. "What is this?" he asked. The others reached over his shoulder, leaning on each other to see what he had received.

"House key"

"Yes, but what for?"Johnny insists, trying not to sound strange, like a little child or something.

"Choose" Mr. Miyagi says. "You can keep it as a souvenir. Or they can come back tomorrow and help with the parking lot cars."

"Are we going to be able to see the cars?" Jimmy asks excitedly.

Dutch's eyes light up strangely at the mention of cars.

Johnny clenches the key in his fist trying not to think about the magnitude of what it means: Trust. Despite everything, he trusts them. Why the hell would he trust them? What is the catch? What if there were none? Wouldn't that be worse?

How Johnny appears to be short-circuiting, Bobby jumps to his rescue: "Thank you, Mr. Miyagi. We'll talk about it."

Mr. Miyagi nods understandingly to Bobby, his serene countenance never changing.

Behind them, Daniel looks at Mr. Miyagi with sudden realization, and he returns his gaze with a wink. He already knows what he is doing. When he asked them to sand and paint specifically, he was suspicious. Now, with the mention of cars maintenance, he is sure: Mr. Miyagi wants to train them. Daniel's first instinct is to yell at him that he's completely insane, but he bites his tongue and doesn't. His stomach churns at the thought of having _these guys_ training here with Mr. Miyagi, _his_ sensei, not theirs. He feels like they are trespassing on his territory or something, Mr. Miyagi is one of the only people he has here. However, he then looks at them, scrambling to take the key with enthusiasm, and understands what Mr. Miyagi sees: They are lost, as he was when he arrived here, and maybe, maybe they are not so bad. He still isn't going to train with them even dead, the memories of his fights with them in the tournament are still too fresh and it's not a line that he wants to cross yet ( _lucky that he's unable to train at the moment, huh?_ ), But he's well if they do, train here. Mr. Miyagi will always mean something deeper to him, it does not mean that he cannot help others.

To them.

  
  


* * *

Like every day, the boys walk together towards their motorcycles to return to their houses. However, once they get there and start putting on their helmets, Johnny suddenly stops. "Go. See you tomorrow." he tells them, and he doesn't wait for an answer to turn on his heel and go back to the spot.

"What? Johnny!" Tommy calls out to him, puzzled, but Johnny already entered. He looks at the others. "And what happens now?"

Dutch and Jimmy shrug. Bobby, however, hides a smile as he puts on his helmet: he knows Johnny well.

  
  


* * *

Johnny doesn't know what prompts him to come back. The key that Mr. Miyagi gave her still burns in his jacket pocket. Upon reaching the patio, he finds Daniel bending over one of those weird little trees that are everywhere, cutting off some tips. This guy is always moving too much for what he should with his leg immobilized.

Johnny crosses his arms, trying to sound as casual as possible when he says, "Aren't you supposed don't should move that leg so much?"

Daniel half turns to him and looks at him with a raised eyebrow and a lopsided grin on that pretty idiot face: "Worried about me, Lawrence?"

"You wish" Johnny responds without looking at him. Again, why is he supposed to go back?

"What happened? Weren't you leaving with your gang?" asks the brunette with interest.

Johnny feels completely naked under his gaze, it's a horrible feeling. Instead of responding, he walks over to him and grabs his arm so suddenly that Daniel staggers and ends up having to hold on to him with both hands. "What the hell Johnny ?!"

"Come on, LaRusso, hold on, don't be a little girl," Johnny snorts. "I take you inside"

"I don't need your help," Daniel sulks.

"I don't care, I'm taking you anyway" _that's right, Johnny, alpha attitude, still badass_. "If you keep moving around, you're never going to put down those crutches"

Daniel opens his mouth in outrage, but then closes it and looks at the ground, finally muttering under his breath, "Anyone would think you care" and that's okay, he didn't bring up again that Johnny helped leave his leg like that in the first place, that is progress.

They are both tense. Upon reaching the house, Johnny helps Daniel up the step, then jogs back to the tree on his crutches and hands them to him. Daniel looks at him like he's turned green or something.

"Should I say thank you?" Daniel asks with an unsure grin, receiving the crutches.

"Please no" Johnny begs.

"Right"

"LaRusso" Johnny says, turning back to cross his arms.

"Yes?"

"Ali and you ...?"

Daniel rolls his eyes and mutters a "of course that's what this is about" that Johnny can't hear.

"What did you say?" Johnny blinks in his direction.

Daniel sighs. "We are not together, if that is what you are asking"

"But you ..."

"We are friends. She is my only friend here. Maybe if you had wanted to talk to me in a civilized way about that, you could have known." He wrinkles his nose and runs a hand over his face, as if tired. "Go home, Johnny"

"Sorry," Johnny blurts out, not moving an inch.

"Hey, never mind, just ..."

"No, not for now. I'm sorry, for everything. For the beatings, for chasing you. For ... About your leg. I was jealous and being stupid."

"Yes, you were stupid" Daniel nods solemnly, but a small smile has formed on his lips.

Johnny rolls his eyes. "Come on LaRusso, I'm trying to offer a sincere apology here" he takes a deep breath.

Daniel cocks his head, conciliatory. "Bobby was right"

"What? What did he tell you?" Johnny looks at him with interest, since he couldn't get anything out of Bobby about what their conversation was about.

"He apologized to me, and then said you were a complete softie on the inside. "There it is, that shit-eating LaRusso smile is back.

"I'll kill Bobby"

Daniel laughs. It is not a mocking laugh, or ironic or bitter, he is genuinely laughing. It's a good sound. Johnny ends up catching it, laughing with him.

"I'm not a softie, never" he affirms when they finish laughing like idiots, because he has to make it clear.

Daniel shakes his head, rolling his eyes but keeping the amused smile on his face. "Bye, Johnny" he says to her, and immediately slides the sliding door, closing it in his face.

"I'm not!" Johnny insists from behind the door. "Unsay!"

Daniel leans his back against the door and bites his lip to contain another laugh. It's really fun to see Johnny, the king of confidence, shocked by something. "Go away!" he yells at her from the other side of the door.

"This isn't going to stay like this, LaRusso, you're going to have to talk to me tomorrow."

 _Oh, so he's coming back tomorrow_ , Daniel thinks.

 _Yeah_ , Johnny thinks as he walks over to his motorcycle, _I'm coming back tomorrow_.

Neither of them knows what this seemingly small talk changed between them. But they will know.

  
  


* * *

The next day, Johnny sends the unspoken agreement to ignore each other at school to fuck off. When LaRusso arrives in the living room, half stumbling between his crutches and his backpack as usual, Johnny gets up from his seat in the back and rushes to grab Daniel's backpack and carry it to his seat. Daniel mutters a terse "thank you" with red cheeks and eyes on the floor in embarrassment, while Johnny helps him to arrange everything on the seat. Something has definitely changed.

Everyone in the classroom looks at them like they think aliens have replaced them, in a silent collective: _What the fuck is going on here?_

Tommy, Jimmy, and Dutch exchange glances in varying degrees of bewilderment, shrugging in response to the questioning look Ali gives them from the front row.

 _He's completely soft_ , Bobby thinks to himself, looking at Johnny with a small smile on his lips. While everyone is suffering some kind of short circuit, he calmly opens his math book for the class that is about to start.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Babies go one step at a time. Little by little the relationship between Daniel and each of the ex-cobras will develop and, obviously, the relationship between Daniel and Johnny. I want to work on Johnny's gang characters, but since I don't have the exact details of their family lives and stuff, I could make up a bit (if you have suggestions or know anything, welcome). Thanks for reading <3


	6. "Wax on, wax off. And study math"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Miyagi trains the ex-cobras in the art of Wax on, wax off. An exam they didn't remember ends with everyone studying math on the floor of Mr. Miyagi's house. Daniel is good with numbers and apparently also makes Johnny nervous.

Johnny begins to suspect that this is about more than just waxing and polishing cars. Either there is some kind of hidden meaning here, or Mr. Miyagi has an obsession with specific systems _(_ _first_ _sanding_ _and_ _painting_ _, and now this_ ). Not that he's complaining, if Miyagi wants to train them in the art of professional maintenance, good for him, because these cars are definitely worth it. They are classic models that are kept in great shape, any man would want to get his hands on these beauties _(_ _obviously_ _,_ _none_ _are quite as cool as his '82 Avanti, but they are very cool_ _anyway_ _)._

So here he is, on a perfect Friday afternoon where he could be drinking beers on the beach with his friends, repeating the same action over a black '55 Citroen DS: Wax on. Wax of. Repeat. And remenber breathe. Breathe is very important.

And worst of all, he doesn't want to be anywhere else.

His friends are spread out among the other cars, performing the same action as him, while Mr. Miyagi walks around straightening his postures from time to time: "Bigger circles, Tommy-san" "Not so wax, Dutch-san" "Good done, Bobby-san, Johnny-san" And then he stands next to Jimmy to show him again how to do the move when the boy gets confused directions.

For everyone it is a kind of surreal experience. Mr. Miyagi doesn't yell at them, he doesn't call them idiots when they make a wrong move, he doesn't make fun of _how stupid they_ are when they don't understand an instruction in the first explanation. Although hey, maybe it's because this isn't karate. Karate is tough, right? Is patience for little girls? Johnny is not quite sure of anything anymore.

As Mr. Miyagi paces back and forth, nodding approvingly, Johnny spots LaRusso carrying some books on one arm while holding onto the other with a single crutch, fully concentrating on the action of carrying the books into the house. LaRusso looks adorable when he's focused, biting his lower lip with his wrinkled nose. No, wait, adorable LaRusso? The heat must have affected it a lot by now ( _it doesn't matter if it's winter, okay? This is California_ ).

LaRusso is another change. Now, in the mornings of class, Johnny helps him with his backpack and crutches until he reaches the seat, it is as if it were something of them, a kind of strange bond born from that conversation they had a few days ago. Johnny doesn't know what to think or do about this, and part of him still believes that he doesn't deserve to be forgiven, but the other part is relieved that Daniel accepted his apology.

"Daniel-san" Miyagi speaks to the boy. And Johnny goes into an internal panic when he sees him stagger unsteadily between the books and the crutch, fearing he might fall. Fortunately, he remains standing. Fuck that boy, what part of not moving too much with a broken leg does he not understand?

"Yes, Mr. Miyagi?"

"Make tea? Almost they done"

Daniel nods enthusiastically. He probably wouldn't say no to anything his sensei asks of him, it shows for miles how much he admires him.

"What is his obsession with tea, Mr. Miyagi?" Tommy asks, but his tone is not malicious, just curious in a reckless way. Jimmy throws a cleaning cloth at his face.

Mr. Miyagi smiles. "Tea good for body. Good for mind. Daniel-san said all do important exam tomorrow. This helps you"

Oh, that's ... really kind. Hey, no, wait a minute.

"Exam?" Johnny babbles out loud.

"What exam?" Jimmy asks fearfully.

"Oh shit" Tommy blurts out. "The mathematics exam"

They all collectively moan as if the news is physically painful for them. Except Bobby, because of course Bobby studied, why didn't remind they? Why is Bobby being the responsible friend if they can't use it as a school testing calendar? Hell, Johnny is already failing math, after this? The partials will not save him and he will have to play everything in the finals. Shit. Not even Mr. Miyagi's tea could help him, unless he has the answers deep down.

Mr. Miyagi has the audacity to laugh at his suffering. "Jozu, Jozu, finished cars for today. Study"

"Here?" Tommy blinks at the old man.

"Daniel-san has books. And tea. Do you waste more time going home? Or stay?"

Oh, that definitely gives a new perspective to the matter. It's one thing to come here to work, where you're sort of paying off debt and staying active at the same time, but this ... this would be like doing you a favor, right? As if they were closer. And they are not.

"I don't think LaRusso wants us to take the books from him." Dutch is the one speaking, looking at the house suspiciously. Johnny agrees with him. There are still limits right?

"Daniel-san studies speaking. Loud voice. Do Miyagi's brain favor if they stay" and he looks at that, the old man not only has a sharp sense of humor, he can also joke openly.

The five meet in a circle, as if to discuss it. The bottom line is that they will ask Daniel. If LaRusso is scandalized like a child by the idea, they will go to the beach to study as a collective forcing Bobby to be their teacher, where they probably end up drinking beers and forgetting everything, but it is better than going home, especially for Johnny. Sid has been doing triple shit more than usual with him since he quit Cobra Kai.

"We don't want to disturb you, Mr. Miyagi" Bobby tells him, genuinely concerned.

"Iku iku" the old man gestures for them to go towards the house. "Better place with people. You good workers."

Then they nod. They sort out the cleaning supplies they were using and head for the house.

"I'm going" Dutch says suddenly. "I came to work and we're done for today. I'll be back tomorrow."

"Dude, at least you need enough not to repeat the grade" Jimmy tries to reason.

But you don't reason with Dutch, not that way at least. Johnny knows that, he knows him well.

"Will you stay if I promise to have some of Sid's refined liquor shit for you?"

Dutch smiles, all teeth, machiavellian, and says: "Now if we speak my language"

* * *

So Daniel is sitting on the floor with his bad leg raised on a pillow. He has a pencil in his mouth and one over each ear, his hair is all messed up from all the times he must have run his fingers between it. Around him, there are two books, a notebook, and a bunch of randomly scattered sheets. The boy seems to be taking it seriously, studying.

Johnny holds his breath in the doorway, deciding that he can't stare at him like an idiot forever. He kicks off his shoes and goes in first, with the others stumbling behind him. LaRusso looks up, startled by the sudden noise, and takes the pencil out of his mouth, swallowing hard. For a minute, he seems almost scared, glancing at all of them briefly before his gaze rests on Johnny. His body probably still reacts to seeing the whole group, as a primitive instinct for survival. However, he quickly relaxes and points with the pencil to the table in the back, where there is a kettle and five bowls arranged in a circular way.

"There's the tea. Have you finished already?"

Johnny opens his mouth to reply, but nothing comes out. _Bad time to be mute, Lawrence._

"Are all these papers about tomorrow's math test?" Tommy asks in dismay.

LaRusso leans over quickly to organize the ones on his right side and tuck them inside his notebook. "Uh, not those" he murmurs, like he's trying to hide a very important secret or something. Johnny feels the need to take them off, but no, he's not supposed to do those things anymore. Then, he looks at them again and now there is a mocking smile on his face. "What's wrong? Did they forget there was a math test or something?"

Silence.

Daniel's smile falls and he turns into an O made from his lips.

"No, shit, did they really forget?"

"Shut up, LaRusso" Johnny responds instinctively.

"We're not nerds like you" argues Dutch.

"Guys ..." Bobby snorts in exasperation, then turns to Daniel: "Mr. Miyagi said we could ... maybe ... study here with you?"

LaRusso's reaction to his words is indecipherable, because his expression remains neutral when he speaks. "Wait, wait, do you want to stay here to study? With me?" he repeats foolishly.

"Don't put your panties on the heap Daniel, we're not asking you for a monument or something, it's just math," Johnny growls defensively.

Then LaRusso laughs. Right there. Right in front of them. With the damn dimples of him.

"Did you finish laughing at us?" Johnny snorts in embarrassment, which he disguises as boredom. Why is LaRusso's opinion suddenly so important?

"Yes" LaRusso nods, because, of course, it's LaRusso. "Did you guys end up being standing there like stray dogs? Sit down, have your tea, whatever. The excercises are here." He sets the papers with math symbols in front of them and concentrates on scribbling in his notebook. He doesn't look at them again. Fuck, the kid has to do it on purpose, to make Johnny nervous.

So they flop awkwardly to the ground and reach for the guides, which are crammed with notes with scattered and jumbled letters, just the typeface you'd expect LaRusso to have.

"You take it seriously, right?" Johnny comments.

Daniel clicks his tongue and shrugs. "I like numbers"

"Of course yes"

At first, they are a bit lost. A tense silence falls over them, and they discover that they don't really know how to get around LaRusso. Johnny thinks he has already passed the barrier of being able to be alone with him, but being all as a group is certainly different.

And then, just like Mr. Miyagi said, LaRusso starts talking. He's not even talking to them at first, he's just muttering to himself about equations and inequalities and the square root of that by ... Fuck, now this guy turns out to be some kind of high-performance calculator?

"I don't understand shit." declares Tommy flatly.

Jimmy just wrinkles his nose at an explanation from Bobby. Dutch looks at the ceiling. And Johnny looks at Daniel.

LaRusso glances at them, but then looks back at his notebook without saying anything, because obviously he's not going to make the first move. And it's only fair, isn't it? Also, Johnny is the one who hits first of the two anyway.

"Hey, LaRusso"

"Mmh?" Daniel looks up, the pencil resting lightly on the corner of his mouth. _He definitely does it on purpose._

"Do you understand this?" Johnny pointed out one of the many exercises in the guide that he didn't understand.

Daniel leaned towards him as far as he could with his immobilized leg, took the guide and analyzed the indicated exercise. Then he raised his head and wasn't laughing at Johnny, nor was he making fun of him not being able to do something that Daniel clearly managed. He just leaned his shoulder against Johnny's, practically dropping on top of him _(stopping Johnny's heart in the process for some unknown reason_ ), placed the guide in front of both of them, and began to speak. "Look, this is the way it is done. First you have to search ..."

A few minutes later, everyone are looking at Daniel like they're supposed to look at the teachers in the classroom, attentive and actively asking questions, which Daniel responds with genuine enthusiasm, exchanging opinions with Bobby about strategies for the exercises occasionally and _still fucking leaning against Johnny._ And yes, it seemed like talking helped LaRusso study, but it wasn't his usual way of speaking faster than a racehorse, nor was it boring. He is _dynamic,_ he made jokes and gestured too much with his hands and you simply _couldn't_ _not_ pay attention to him.

And yes, maybe they broke another barrier, but it was okay.

From the doorway, Mr. Miyagi looks at the group of teenagers with a satisfied smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The boys' study afternoon / evening continues in the next chapter. We'll get a bit of Daniel's point of view on this whole impromptu study group situation, and Johnny still wants to know what's in the papers Daniel kept.
> 
> Thanks for reading <3


	7. "The weird doesn't have to be bad"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mathematics and mathematics. Johnny discovers something in Daniel's papers and doesn't know what to do with it. Daniel is no longer alone at the lunch table.

Daniel still doesn't understand how this happened. He was just quietly studying and from one moment to the next it all turned into a math session in Mr. Miyagi's flat with his ex-school bullies. And it wasn't that bad.

Fuck, did he miss something along the way? Probably the math made him not immediately notice how weird this is. When he is excited about something he does not usually notice things around him. I'd be lying if I said he didn't feel good having company his age, but they? Anyone would say he's crazy, Daniel thinks he's crazy, but ... Mr. Miyagi trusts them, doesn't he? He is beginning to train them, although they are not yet aware. So should stop worrying about the possibility of them jumping on him, right?

"Can I have Daniel now?" Jimmy asks suddenly, when Daniel has finished explaining the last exercise to Johnny, approaching him with one of the exercise guides in hand. "I still don't understand this part"

Meanwhile, Bobby is teaching Dutch some tricks on selecting alternatives.

Daniel believes that he should be questioning all of this more deeply. Why is he helping them? Why do they say things like _"Can I have Daniel?"_ to begin with? But his brain is already working on Jimmy's math exercise, and it's much easier to focus on that.

"You have a problem with the second step, here. You invert them the wrong way." Daniel circles the fault in a circle. "Imagine it as a clock, the hands of the clock go to the right, right? And they never change. So when you see this exercise, just visualize a clock and see where you know it turns. Here, look, solve this one again." points out another of the exercises.

Jimmy nods attentively and leans for start figuring it out.

Later, Daniel explains to Tommy his own way of remembering mathematical formulas. "You know, give each part a stupid name, then you won't forget it"

"I'm good at that," Tommy agrees.

Obviously it is.

Johnny yawns next to him, wrinkling his nose, and Daniel notices that he is leaning against his shoulder and Johnny has not hit him for it, nor has he pushed him away. It's...weird.

"Shall we leave it for now?" he asks the blonde next to him, lowering the guide to one side.

"I'm not sleepy, LaRusso, I'm not a little girl"

Daniel twists the face into a mocking face. "Yes, of course. So those yawns don't mean anything, do they night boy?"

"He's got you there, Johnny" Tommy laughs.

"Shut up" Johnny throws a ball of paper at his friend's face. And then he yawns again.

Daniel rolls his eyes. "Yeah, okay, enough. Nothing else is going to enter your brain now. Anyway, you're mastering it enough to get a decent grade."

Johnny blinks at him. "Do you believe?"

"Yeah, unless you fall asleep on the exam, you idiot."

The blonde seems to want to argue, but finally he just nods. "Fine, LaRusso, I'll let you win this one."

A condescending smile spreads across Daniel's face. "Yes, sure"

"I should charge you for this, right Encino guys?" he jokes.

Jimmy teaches him the exercise of him now solved correctly. Tommy is able to recite the formulas quite well. Johnny burned the numbers to himself. Dutch probably has enough to get more than the minimum grade. Bobby was already good at this.

"They are definitely going to owe me a favor."

"Whatever you say, _princess_ " Johnny shakes his head to wake up and stand up.

Daniel doesn't mind me calling him princess. He knows he should but ... he doesn't. That is the first indication that something is not right.

* * *

When Daniel goes into the house for a moment to tell Mr. Miyagi that they are leaving, Johnny can't help it: his hands go directly to the book where he saw the boy hide some papers when they arrived.

"Dude, if the math teacher was like Daniel, she'd be much better for us," says Jimmy, putting on his jacket. "How come they never tell us any of those tricks?"

"Maybe it's something from the Jersey teachers" Tommy shrugs, putting the paper with the formula summaries in his pocket.

"They are grateful to have given it a chance, aren't they?" Bobby laughs at them.

"Yes yes, Bobby, your heart is too big, we know" Tommy replies.

Dutch looks at the papers still scattered on the floor and kicks one. Everything about him radiates internal conflict. "I don't know. _It's LaRusso_." he says he, and not even he himself knows what he is trying to say to himself with those words.

Meanwhile, Johnny takes in his hands the papers that LaRusso had hidden. He expected some secret, a strange drawing, something funny that would have been worth hiding for someone who is always so direct. However, not this: They are bills, with some clumsy calculations on the side. Most of them are from the Valley General Hospital. There are many red circles enclosing specific values and some question marks on the sides. Johnny feels guilt creeping up his throat like bile and his hands are shaking. All prices are for LaRusso's broken leg. There is even a budget for a more elaborate surgery than the one he had with a big X crossed out.

"Johnny? Are you listening to us man?" Tommy asks him.

In an impulsive act, Johnny folds the papers and quickly shoves them into his jacket pocket. He turns to look at his friends. "Mmmh?" he articulates himself, instead of speaking, because he's not sure he can keep his voice steady at this point.

Daniel comes back then, and Johnny looks away because he doesn't feel able to look at him now. "Mister Miyagi tells them to remember to breathe tomorrow"

"I'm always breathing" Jimmy points out foolishly.

Daniel just laughs, shaking his head.

"Come on, get out now"

* * *

"Is it safe to drive those things at night?" Daniel watches the motorcycles with a mistrustful face from the entrance of the house.

"I've driven it at night and drunk, I'm in an advantageous position now" Johnny proudly replies. However, there is something strange in his voice, something that he was not there before when they were studying. What will it be?

"I'm going to pretend you didn't say that" Daniel shakes his head, leaning on his crutches.

Johnny scratches the back of his neck nervously and doesn't look at him when he asks, "Don't you want me to ... uh ... take you home?"

"In _that_? After what you just said? No no no. I will never go up to a motorcycle with you" he fervently shakes his head and then adds: "Anyway, I will stay here with Mr. Miyagi tonight. My mother has a night shift, so it's okay. "

"Does she work nights?" Daniel is surprised by Johnny's question, so he still takes a while to answer.

"Uh yeah, just a few days a week" he sighs. "We don't all live in Encino" the comment is just an observation, but Johnny flinches as if he's tried to hit him with his words.

"It doesn't matter. We do it right," he adds quickly, because the least he wants is for Johnny Lawrence, of all people, to start looking at him with compassion. "Go away, I don't want to have the blame for you falling asleep on the exam tomorrow."

Johnny suddenly grabs his arm and looks him in the eye. Daniel stares back at him, flinching. He looks like he wants to tell her something, but he doesn't speak. "Johnny?" Daniel murmurs, because that look in his blue eyes is new and he doesn't know what it means.

From below, Tommy whistles at him. "Johnny, let's go!"

Johnny lets go of it and clears his throat.

"See you tomorrow, LaRusso" he says goodbye, and then runs off without giving Daniel a chance to reply.

"Bye, Daniel!" Bobby and Jimmy say goodbye, and Tommy waves his hand in his direction as well. Dutch has already started the motorcycle's engine.

Daniel waves his hand awkwardly in response and watches them drive off on their motorcycles. He still feels the warmth of Johnny's hand on his arm, even though he's already gone.

What was that?

* * *

  
The next day, Daniel sits down to lunch alone at a table in the cafeteria, as he always does when Ali is gone. Only what very soon five more trays are falling on the table and the ex-cobras are settling into the vacant seats. They seem so natural, starting to eat and talking to each other, that Daniel wonders if they even realized they sat at the wrong table. He looks at them all, his lips slightly smeared with ketchup, and his gaze meets Johnny's.

"Uh, did they get lost or something?" he finally asks anyone who can answer him.

"Just returning the favor, _princess_ " Johnny responds, stuffing a large handful of plastic-tasting spaghetti into his mouth.

Then Daniel is silent, leans over his tray and eats, aware that some people are watching them from the other tables. And, although he is not part of the general noise of the group, in some way, he is no longer alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This progresses little by little. In the next one, the boys will have their first encounter with karate since the tournament. There are many things ahead, I hope it doesn't seem a bit slow, I like to take my time to develop the details and progress of them, together and separately. Thanks for reading <3  
> P.D: Give Dutch some time, the man thing has a lot of shit to work with.


	8. "Debts, friendship and karate"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Johnny must turn to Sid for something important.  
> Then, he wonders about the idea of friendship.  
> Everyone is considering the idea of taking up karate again.

Johnny has been standing outside Sid's office for twenty minutes, rubbing his sweaty palms on his jeans. He never thought he'd be willing to come into this office willingly, especially since he hates when Sid calls him to come here. This is Sid's territory, not even his mother enters. There is no one here who can defend him, not that his mother can do too much. Johnny loves his mother, but knows that she is too sweet to resist a fight. Anyway, here it is, about to enter the wolf's mouth. And because? He reaches into his pocket and touches the folded papers stored in it. The bills of LaRusso. That is the reason, it has to be remembered. He have a debt to pay.

Johnny holds his breath, puts his hand on the door handle and turns it, before Sid comes out and finds him standing outside like an idiot.

Hit first, right?

"Sir ..." he begins, tries to keep a uniform voice. Showing weakness in front of Sid is like bleeding in a sea with sharks.

"I didn't ask you to come over, kid" his stepfather interrupts him in a gruff, dry voice before he can begin. "Get out of my office"

Johnny fights the urge to obey or yell at him in the face. In either of those two options, you don't get what you came for.

"I'm sorry sir" _iugh, iugh, iugh_. "I know you're busy, I just came because ... I need to ask you something."

Only then did Sid look up from the papers on his desk. A mocking smile familiar to Johnny curves across his face. "Come to what?" he laughs mockingly. "You dare come to my office, _interrupt_ my work, to ask me for something? After you dared to ignore all the money I spent on that karate shit and quit? Get out of here"

_There's nothing he wants more than to get out of here_ , Johnny thinks to himself, but he stays. It's already here, right? You don't withdraw in the middle of a fight.

"I apologize, sir," Johnny continues, hating his own words. _A means to an end, just a means to an end._

Sid hits the table hard, making Johnny jump instead. "You think I don't give a shit about your apologies?"

"No sir"

"Exactly." Sid looks out the window, contemplatively. Obviously enjoy this. "How much do you want, brat?"

Johnny recites the amount without blinking. Sid laughs, standing up. "And what will you do with that money? Get drunk with your losing friends like the loser you are? Don't answer me, I don't want to hear your pathetic excuses" he sighs with false resignation. "You know? Your mother had it all when I met her, a beautiful and docile woman. But she had her own _parasite_ included, you."

Johnny is undeterred, he has heard this speech many times over the years.

"And now it turns out that I have to give you everything, to a loser, an ungrateful jerk. Don't you think that's unfair?"

_Fuck off_ , Johnny thinks. What it says is: "You are right, sir."

"Of course I do" Sid nods. "Now you ask me for a significant amount of extra money in addition to your monthly allowance, which you know I cannot take from you because your mother would notice"

Johnny is silent.

"You will have your answer at the end of the day. Now get out of here, and don't come back without me calling you"

_I hate you_ , Johnny thinks. He says, "Yes, sir" and leaves the office.

He knows that Sid will eventually give him what he wants. After his stepdad finishes insulting him and reminding him of what shit he is, he always gives him what he wants. Johnny knows he is not doing it out of indulgence, or selflessly. Sid is always proving a point: _"You need me, you would be nothing without me. You will never be nothing without me"_ is what he always says.

Johnny is scared that his stepfather might be right.

* * *

Going to Mr. Miyagi's house not only became routine, it feels like a haven. At least for Johnny. He assumes his friends must think something similar, or they wouldn't be going home with him right now just to ask Mister Miyagi if he has a new job for them and hope he says yes. It is a fairly sunny Saturday for the time of year.

LaRusso is already there, of course. He is sitting at the table, reviewing some plans and measuring things on the paper with some gauges, biting his lip with concentration. Johnny is a bit paralyzed by his image.

"Hey Daniel" Bobby greets first.

LaRusso slowly releases her lip as she looks up. _God_. He makes a gentle wave of his hand to them in greeting and then looks back at the plans.

Now they all sit together at lunch and it doesn't feel as strange as they thought, who would say. It is not that they speak like great friends, you know they are not. The difference is that, at this point, Johnny wouldn't mind if they could be. Friends, he mean. Yeah, he was supposed to be coming just to pay off his debt, but LaRusso isn't that bad when you meet him. That leads him to wonder ... How are you supposed to realize that you passed the barrier from friendly acquaintances to friends with someone?

"What are you doing?" Tommy, Jimmy and Bobby are already on the plans, probably hoping there is some new project to work on for the place. Johnny is about to follow them when he notices that Dutch stared at something to his side, follows his gaze and... There is Mr. Miyagi, at the top of some folding stairs installing from a metal frame a... punching bag ?

"What is that for?" Johnny asks him, trying to ignore the way his fingers vibrate when he sees the punching bag.

The physical work helps, but the truth is that weeks have passed and I really miss how good karate felt: Hitting the bag, trying to kick higher and higher, and fighting ( _even when Kreese had them always finish off their teammates_ ) .

"You. To draw energy. Necessary for balance" Mr. Miyagi says, testing the resistance of the chain to hold the bag and stepping down the ladder when he is satisfied with the result.

"It's for us?" Dutch asks with wide eyes, his gaze running over the bag over and over.

Mr. Miyagi nods in response.

"Wow, Mister Miyagi, you look great" Tommy jumps up, being next to them in an instant, and Jimmy quickly follows. Bobby, however, remains behind, still with Daniel looking at the punching bag with some suspicion.

"Can we really use it?" Johnny has to ask again, because this is ... new. How long have he not thrown a kick or a punch? He hadn't realized until now how much he misses all that.

"Come when want. Use when want" Mr. Miyagi says, and then adds: "Break, fix"

Jimmy laughs. "Of course, Mr. Miyagi"

Johnny turns to look at Daniel, a little concerned about what he might think of this. However, Daniel just has that weird smile on his face that he puts on when he seems like he knows something that others don't, which is both irritating and intriguing. The one with the pout, in fact, is Bobby, but when Johnny tries to ask him with the look what happens, his friend just shakes his head, dismissing it.

Meanwhile, Dutch walks up to the sack, which is white leather with some patches, and gives it a tentative blow. Looks good. So he gives him a flurry of punches. A smile forms on his lips.

"I want to be next!" Tommy claims.

Johnny exchanges a grateful look with Mr. Miyagi. He doesn't know why man does this for them, but he'll take it while it lasts.

* * *

It turns out that the plans Daniel is reviewing are for a pond that Mr. Miyagi wants to build in the yard. Johnny leans over LaRusso's shoulder, maybe a little more than necessary, and contemplates the lines. Daniel turns his head to look back at him, but that leaves their faces surprisingly close and Johnny can't help but jump back. Daniel looks at him in confusion, not understanding his reaction: "Johnny?"

Johnny clears his throat. "Why a pond?" question.

LaRusso shrugs. "I asked the same to Mr. Miyagi, but he said: _Daniel-san, see it done, then understand."_ very gracefully imitates Mr. Miyagi. "I suppose he will take advantage of the fact that he has more manpower to fix the place"

Johnny smiles.

"It must have been difficult for him, having only one skinny boy for the important tasks."

LaRusso puffs out her cheeks in outrage.

"I have much more strength than it seems" he claims.

"Yeah right, if saying that makes you feel better, go ahead, LaRusso"

"I kicked you in the face"

"That doesn't mean strength, it means you have long legs."

"You just envy not being able to lift your leg so high like me"

"You wish"

"Wowow, tigers, relax" Tommy walks between them with an amused smile. "Can't we just leave them alone for a few minutes without showing their fangs?"

Johnny crosses his arms with a frown. Yes, they were arguing, but at the same time, they weren't fighting, it was just ... them.

Daniel makes an amused face at Tommy's drama.

"Hey, LaRusso, I'll steal it from you for a moment."

"You can keep it," Daniel replied, easily following Tommy's joke dynamic. "No returns"

"You're ruthless" Tommy jokes back.

"Ha ha ha. Very funny both of you" Johnny sulks. "Fuck off"

They both have the nerve to laugh in Johnny's face. And boy, these are the same guys who just wave and say goodbye and swap stupid names of math formulas. Johnny doesn't want to imagine what would happen if LaRusso and Tommy were really friends. They would probably have to tape those mouths down to avoid exploding.

* * *

"So what is this for?" Johnny asks, when the five of them are forming a circle in the parking lot, as usual that they have to make a decision that involves them all as a group.

"I have an idea," says Tommy.

"That's never a good sign" comments Dutch raising his eyebrows. Tommy gives him a little nudge in response.

"What is it?" Jimmy asks curiously.

"So, you know ... Mr. Miyagi taught Daniel karate, right?"

"You know yes, Tommy, it's his sensei" Bobby answers with obviousness. "Where do you want to go?"

"Yeah, it's just ... I've been thinking, even more so with the punching bag Mr. Miyagi put in and all that ..." Tommy starts to ramble.

"Spit it out, Tommy" Dutch encourages him impatiently.

"Do you think we could ask him to train us too?" Boom, bomb dropped.

Silence.

* * *

"Do you really think that's a good idea, Mr. Miyagi?" Daniel asks his sensei, still a little unsure.

Mr. Miyagi smiles confidently as always, and nods.

"Problem, Daniel-san? You and them no friends?

"We are not friends" Daniel shakes his head fervently, not because he dislikes them, but because he knows that in no universe they would want to be his friends. He's sure they're nice just because they think they owe it to him, all that Johnny said about the debt and returning the favor, as if their interactions were some kind of transaction. They don't do it because they like Daniel. He doesn't really care, people get bored of him anyway. "But that's not a problem. I know they're not like before. I was just thinking about the opposite styles of karate, do you think they will want to learn what you teach after Kreese's training?

"Just offer. They decide." Mr. Miyagi claps Daniel on the back. "Remember. Learn is good for soul, mind and body."

"I know, Mr. Miyagi" he nods his head. "Alone, it will be a little weird. But that's okay, if you really think it will work."

"Wait and see, Daniel-san"

As summoned, the five former cobras return to the patio again. Everyone except Bobby, who's stay serious in the corner, walks up to Mr. Miyagi and bows respectfully ( _wow, even Dutch_ ).

Johnny is the one talking. "Mister Miyagi, if you agree, we want to ask you ... to dedicate yourself to karate as our sensei"

"Please," the four of them say in unison.

"We can pay you," adds Tommy.

"We'll understand if the answer is no" Jimmy sighs.

Mr. Miyagi looks at Daniel with a proud smile.

Daniel can't help it, he laughs. Mr. Miyagi didn't even have to offer them. He don't know how his sensei always guesses what will happen, but you have to admit, it's great. Also, him'll want to see their faces when they find out that Mr. Miyagi has been training them for weeks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Children swing on the line between friendly acquaintances and friends. They are a bit stubborn idiots to see where they are, but rest assured that something will happen soon that will give them the final push. Also, Bobby has some mixed feelings about the idea of going back to karate.
> 
> In other announcements, I have several of the next chapters fully planned. This story really excites me hahaha Little words for clues to what's to come: "Bonsais. Training. Dutch. Some nameless idiots." ideas?
> 
> Thanks for read!<3


	9. "Karate in all things"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The ex-cobras put into practice what they have been unknowingly learning about karate from Mr. Miyagi. Bobby pruned a bonsai. Johnny takes Daniel home.

Johnny wasn't planning on going back to karate, Cobra Kai had been the only thing and he gave it up completely. However, at Tommy's suggestion, he discovers that he really wants to practice it again. Karate is part of what it is, so wouldn't it be nice to learn _real good_ karate?

In the end, Bobby was the only one of them who flatly refused the idea. Bobby Brown would never practice karate again, he decided, because it did a lot of damage when he did it.

Johnny was disappointed ( _and concerned for his friend_ ), but understood his dislike. Bobby always had the biggest heart of them all. Thanks to Bobby, everyone was here now. He understood how hard following that order from Kreese in the tournament was for him.

Still, even though he didn't practice, Bobby agreed to stay. That was something.

That was how four of five stepped forward to bow in front of Mr. Miyagi and respectfully ask him to please teach them the true karate.

And then LaRusso started laughing at them. Johnny frowned, annoyed and worried in equal measure. Weren't they supposed to be getting to something good with LaRusso? Well maybe now that it was karate it would be different...

"What the hell are you laughing at, LaRusso?" growled Dutch. It was already fucking hard for him to please ask to start.

LaRusso wasn't just laughing, the guy _was bursting out laughing_ , leaning against the coffee table while covering his mouth.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" I gasp between laughter. "Just ... ignore me" and she tried to quell the laughter by covering her mouth with both hands.

"It's not easy to ignore you when it looks like you're going to explode," Jimmy pointed out, a bit confused.

Mr. Miyagi waved his hand towards Daniel smiling with amusement.

"Ignore Daniel-san. Understand later" Mr. Miyagi says happily.

Johnny sincerely fears LaRusso will choke on his laugh back there, but hey, he have asked for it himself. He goes back to Mr. Miyagi. "So what it says? Would you train us? "

"Miyagi karate different" Mr. Miyagi explains to them. "This not dojo. Is home. Karate only for defense. Karate for soul, body and mind, not war "

"We understand, Mr. Miyagi" Johnny says. Tommy and Jimmy nod.

Dutch looks at the ground, playing with the dirt.

"Dutch-san?"

"I want to try" Dutch finally answers. His eyes are always storms of doubt, but this is a big step.

Mr. Miyagi nods in her direction, then brings his hands to of his back, as if preparing.

"Johnny-san, you first" he says.

The four of them look at each other in confusion.

"What? Now?" Johnny assumes that the answer to his question is yes, because Mr. Miyagi just looks at him waiting patiently. "Okay, uh, what do I do?"

"Show me: Wax on, wax off"

Johnny frowns, not understanding. "Do you want me to... clean them again?"

"Show me movement"

And, before Johnny can ask any further, Mr. Miyagi throws a direct hit at him.

_Wax on._

Johnny's blocking surprises even himself. Kreese never taught them much defense, all their chips were on attack, hit first. This crash, however, was the same twist as when... i clean the cars.

His blue eyes rise in surprise towards Mr. Miyagi, who, having made eye contact, throws more blows.

_Wax on, wax off._

Johnny blocks them with the move he didn't know he had learned.

"Now paint and sand"

_Up and down. Bend his wrist._

Block all hits.

He can't help but smile enthusiastically when the flurry of hits stops. Her blonde bangs fall tousled over her forehead. That felt great.

She can't help but stray her gaze to LaRusso, who is grinning with a little nostalgia in his eyes. He nodded to Johnny and Johnny returned the salute. Then, he turns his gaze to Mister Miyagi.

"Was he ... teaching us all this time?"

"Karate in all things, Johnny-san" Mr. Miyagi shifts his gaze from place to place. "Tommy-san, come"

Johnny leaves his place to Tommy, still feeling his limbs vibrate. He stands next to the table, where LaRusso is.

"That wasn't too bad," Daniel points out, as they both watch Tommy repeat the same exercise as Johnny earlier.

"Did you know it all this time?" Johnny has to ask.

Daniel likes to talk, but right now, his only response is a smile. 

And he's perfectly fine with that.

* * *

After the tournament, Bobby visited the church. He hadn't done it for anything other than Sunday Masses for a while, but he felt he needed it. He sat down on one of the benches and, looking at the stained glass windows on the ceiling, thought of the person he had become. A person who is capable of following an order as horrible as breaking the leg of someone whom he is supposed to have faced in a fair fight.

It was the karate, he decided. He had full responsibility for his actions, but Kreese was the one who made him this.

He had liked karate a lot, he thought he was good at it, until he saw the damage it could do. Until _it hurt_ someone.

Therefore, he could not practice it again. He did not believe in himself to obtain a different result.

"Bobby?" Daniel's voice brings him back to reality and Bobby realizes that the boy is standing next to him. He had been lost in thought watching the other boys train.

Daniel is supported on a crutch and with the other hand he was holding one of those little trees that you could always find in this place.

"Could you help me?" Daniel asked him. "If possible, I'd rather not trip and hurt this little one" pointed the tree.

Bobby stood up immediately and took the tree in his hands. It was pretty. Although he still didn't understand Mr. Miyagi's fascination for these.

"You shouldn't walk that much," Bobby advised Daniel, glancing at his leg with the splint as they walked towards the shed.

Daniel now leaning on both crutches, shrugged. "I'm one of those who needs to be moving" he replied. "Anyway, it doesn't hurt as much as it used to, and the doctor said if I didn't exercise it it might break down or something.

"I'm sorry" Bobby sighed, pained.

"Hey, okay, you don't have to keep asking me for forgiveness" Daniel laughed. How come this guy still wants to be around him after what he did to him. "I know it wasn't your fault, it was your sensei"

"I could have decided not to obey"

"Come on Bobby, we won't have this conversation again. I don't blame you, okay?" he pushed open the shed door with his crutch. "Mr. Miyagi always says that there are no bad students, only bad teachers"

Bobby gulps. Could it be different?

"Hey, here, put it here"

Bobby lowers the tree in the designated place.

"Why does Mister Miyagi like these so much?"

"They are called bonsai" Daniel responds, looking at the tree with affection. "Do you want to prune one?"

Bobby shakes his head. "No no, I would spoil it"

"Come on, try it. It's good" Daniel insisted.

Bobby took the scissors, unsure, and stood in front of the tree.

"Close your eyes"

"What? Man, I'm going to hurt him."

"You trust"

Bobby does it. Close your eyes and let Daniel guide him. "Now imagine your perfect tree, how you want it to look"

"Wait, I don't think..."

"Focus on the tree and imagine, then cut. Mister Miyagi says that if it comes from within, then it is the right thing to do. And I think you can see that Mister Miyagi is always right" Daniel smiles.

And Bobby sees it, not just his perfect bonsai, but himself, the person he wants to be, the things to cut, and the things to keep to be. Cut a twig and open your eyes to look at Daniel.

"Thank you" he says.

Daniel shrugs.

"I didn't do anything. It just helped me, and I thought maybe I could help you."

Bobby smiles looking at the tree. "Do you think Mr. Miyagi will let me... join the training?"

"He's training Dutch, right? Then he will train anyone"

Bobby laughs.

* * *

Johnny watches carefully as Bobby exits the shed he entered with LaRusso. Hisfriend is smiling. What had they been doing in there? (not that you care much, no sir). But then Bobby approaches Mr. Miyagi and cordially asks him to join them and then repeats the first exercise with his new sensei.

Johnny doesn't know what LaRusso did, but whatever it was, it worked. Bobby is here, with them, and he no longer seems to believe that karate is a weapon of destruction. Instead, hisfriend talks very excited about those little trees... What did he say they were called? Bansais? and about second chances.

Anyway, it's a good afternoon.

* * *

Johnny says goodbye to his friends and returns to the interior of the house. LaRusso is sitting in the couch with his leg up, finishing his tea before heading out to catch the bus.

Johnny doesn't know what prompts him to do this, perhaps his body is still ecstatic and he feels powerful from having returned to karate. Whatever the reason, his'll take advantage of the momentum while he are still in it

"Johnny? Weren't you leaving already?"

"Let me take you home" Johnny tells him. He's not actually asking him.

Daniel shakes his head flatly "I already told you that I will never get on that motorcycle. I appreciate my life, so I will take the bus, thank you very much"

"Today I brought the Avanti" clarifies the blonde.

Daniel looks at him with wide deer eyes. "Did you bring your car instead of your motorcycle to... Take me home?"

Johnny's ears turn red. "Shut up, LaRusso. It's just a ... convenient coincidence for you," he mutters, not understanding why his body betrays him in this way.

Daniel smiles, albeit with some disbelief.

"Seriously, shut up" Johnny warns him.

"I didn't say anything" LaRusso affirms with feigned innocence.

"I hear your mental verbiage from here" the blonde runs a hand through his hair and looks at the wall. "Are you coming or not?"

LaRusso clicks her tongue, sets her cup of tea on the coffee table, and stands up on her crutches. Everything fucking slow.

Then he looks at Johnny and says. "Okay John, take me home"

And Johnny does.

* * *

"Hey, by the way, didn't you accidentally take some papers that I kept in my book when we studied math?" Daniel asks, with his arm affirming on the curb of the window and his dark hair being blown by the wind.

Johnny clenches the steering wheel in his hands, being keenly aware of the papers in the glove compartment of his car.

"No, no weird papers, LaRusso. Why?" answer back. If I were to tell him the truth, know that LaRusso, stubborn as he is, would never allow him to help.

Daniel shakes his head, his gaze on the landscape. "For nothing" he sighs.

When Johnny returns home, after dropping LaRusso at his door, he finds an envelope on his bedside table: The money he asked Sid for the bills is there. Along with this, an invitation to one of the fancy parties at the club that he has been refusing to go to for a while now.

It seems like a fair change. And while he knows Sid won't let him forget this for a long time, he will take it.

The image of LaRusso sitting next to him in the Avanti haunts him in his dreams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They advance in small steps, but without stopping. If you have suggestions or comments, they are welcome. Thanks for reading <3


	10. "Dutch"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daniel is alone at Mr. Miyagi's house tending the plants on a Sunday, when Dutch comes in with his bloody knuckles and a bruised face, and starts hitting the punching bag like a maniac. In the end, they come to a kind of understanding between themselves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I wrote a chapter for Dutch. I decided that such a character, like Halcon or Tory in Cobra Kai, must have a complicated life story, rich kid or not.
> 
> Don't kill me for writing this chapter mainly about Dutch. In the next we will have something for Johnny and Daniel, to make up for it hahaha

He stands in front of the mirror, his hands resting on the sink, with his leg encased in the splint slightly raised. Water drips from the end of Daniel's hair and the drops slide down his nose. He sighs, running a hand through his hair, and staggers to reach for his crutches. The splint already feels like a part of himself, a limiting, disastrous and annoying part. He hates being limited to moving around, to doing things as simple as getting _dressed_. When the doctor told him that the recovery could take between six and eight weeks, Daniel almost asked him to kill him at that point, out of pity himself and also his mother, who would have to deal with all those horrible expensive bills ( _bills whose copy Daniel lost and still can't find, as if this wasn't bad enough_ ).

However, it hasn't been as bad as he thought it would be. Yes, the pain the first few days was horrible, and he cursed Bobby Brown and Johnny Lawrence in all the languages he knows ( _he only knows three, actually, and of one of them only bad words, but there are more than one so the point remains_ ), but pain is nothing new to him. And besides, he can no longer blame them. Not Johnny or Bobby, not Jimmy or Tommy. Damn, not even Dutch. They had the worst possible teacher, he understand now. Furthermore, they apologized, and showed that they were serious on several occasions. They are not so bad when they are not under the influence of a lunatic. He may even, perhaps, like them a little.

And they have done quite well with Mister Miyagi, now that they train with their sensei officially. There have been some discussions here and there about methods and style, mostly complaints from Dutch or Tommy. Even so, they have managed to go over the differences such as jumping a fence on an obstacle course, throughout this first week that they have been training.

It's boring to look and feel a bit like the cheerleader on the team who brings the drinks and sits in the corner, but Mr. Miyagi always tells him that will help him learn to work on his patience... _"Patience needed for balance, Daniel-san"_ and all that.

Anyway. Daniel puts on his t-shirt and sweatshirt, hangs a small backpack on his shoulder and peers out from the living room. Even though it is winter, the sun is filtering through the apartment windows, the opposite of the snowy city that Newark must be right now.

"Daniel, honey, are you ready?"

Daniel looks away from the window and smiles at his mother. "Yes, mom. Thanks for taking me"

"Don't would fool around, son, of course I'm taking you. Although I don't understand why you're going to Mr. Miyagi's place when he won't be there until the afternoon, and on _Sunday_."

The brunette sighs, he knows what his mother is hinting at, even if she doesn't say it directly. _Why don't you go out with friends, son? Why not go out and spend the afternoon with guys your age instead of in your karate master's garden?_

"I promised him I'd go prune the bonsai and see the other plants. Also, the doctor said it would do me good to be on the move at this point, remember? And I like being there."

Her mother sighs and ruffles her hair. "You know I only care about you, darling."

"I know, mom"

* * *

Daniel was supposed to be alone in Mr. Miyagi's place today.

Since Mr. Miyagi wasn't coming because he had more work than usual, Johnny's gang wasn't coming today either. Daniel could swear he almost saw disappointment in Johnny's eyes when Mr. Miyagi informed him, but it was probably a reflection of the light in his eyes. Anyway, that's not the point. The point is, he was supposed to be alone in the place today until Mr. Miyagi arrived late in the afternoon to practice some kata and take him home. _It was supposed_ is the key expression here.

Violent footsteps sound against the gravel from the parking lot, moving towards the garden where Daniel is moving a pot with a small cherry tree, trying to find the place with the best sunlight for it. He almost dropped the pot with a start, looking up and nailing the eyes it to the doorway, still in place. Mr. Miyagi never makes so much noise when entering any place, although the boys in Johnny's gang also have a key, so...

Dutch is the one crossing the entrance, his face covered in bruises and stained with blood, his fists clenched at his sides and a furious expression as he walks straight to the punching bag like a dog with a goal, and once he reaches the bag, begins to hit him violently, growling. It doesn't even seem like I've seen someone else here.

Daniel purses his lips uneasily, holding the pot to his chest. Him first instinct is to get away as quickly as possible. He still remembers Dutch yelling at him in the dressing room, holding it him on Halloween for them to keep hitting him. The guy was aggressive when he was happy, that probably increases exponentially when he is angry. However, something prevents him from leaving. The guy doesn't look good, probably coming from a fight. Maybe he just needs help, and wasn't Daniel thinking about second chances just this morning? Mr Miyagi would say that everyone deserves to be given the option of receiving help, even if only some accept it. Although Mister Miyagi also says that _"You can't fix everyone, Daniel-san"_ , and that's fine, Daniel likes challenges.

Plus, you've never had a very great self-preservation instinct in the first place.

After a moment's hesitation, he puts down the pot and limps over to Dutch.

* * *

His father taught him only one thing in his entire life: The world is not going to offer its hand, so don't give the world anything. Dutch made sure to learn it. With every blow that the man he should call father gave him, with all the times his mother told him she hated him. The world didn't help him, so he didn't give the world anything. He earned everything he has, and the rest was given to him by his parents to hide the fact that they were never really real parents. And it was okay, Dutch didn't need anyone anyway. Not until he got into Cobra Kai and met the gang: Johnny, Bobby, Jimmy and Tommy. So a gang made him feel backed up, and cobra kai made him feel powerful, invincible, and gave an excuse for the occasional bruise that didn't come from the dojo.

And everything else Kreese taught him.

The world didn't help him, so he would make sure to take everything from the world. He hit, kicked, screamed. And it was good, it felt fucking fantastic. He was on top, even if he still wasn't the best at karate or anything, he was strong, he would get what he wanted where he wanted and when he wanted. His had the power. And then Kreese went crazy and tried to kill Johnny, and it all went to hell. They taught him not to shake hands with anyone, so he could do nothing more than turn his gaze to avoid seeing how they hurt his friend. Pathetic, so stupid again.

Then came all the shit about apologizing to LaRusso and working with the old man. It was different, it was... _good_. And it wasn't supposed to be. I hated that it was. Only maybe he didn't. It was good to have someone congratulate him, do things for him, even if sooner or later he would reveal the hidden side of his intentions, he would take the good for now.

A little voice in his head whispered that perhaps Mr. Miyagi was really different. And the other voice, hot as fire, taunted him for even daring to think about that possibility.

The thing is, he assumes the world would never help him, so he didn't know what to do when someone finally offered his hand.

"Dutch? Are you okay man?"

Dutch recognized LaRusso's voice, but bothered to turn around and didn't stop hitting the punching bag.

Mr. Miyagi taught them a different karate, the so-called true karate. It made Dutch feel differently than Cobra Kai: Not powerful, but not bad either. He felt in control, felt like he could defend himself, allow fights to come to him and be ready, instead of looking for them. It applied to everything except when it came to his father. He could never block a single blow from that man, couldn't even try.

_Shit!_

"Hey, your knuckles are bleeding. And, well, your face too. Mister Miyagi has a medicine cabinet inside, I can bring it if you ..."

"Get lost, LaRusso" Dutch growls gruffly. Fuck LaRusso, what the fuck is wrong with him? Why would I want to help him with anything? What the fuck is wrong with everyone?!

"Okay yeah, but, just... do you have a head injured? That could be dangerous, Dutch, really. Do you know how many people die from blows to the head every year?"

"I-don't-know" _hit. knock. kick. knock._ The metal from which the punching bag hangs shakes like a leaf. "I-don't-care"

"Come on man, we don't have to be friends for you to let me help you-"

If LaRusso said anything else, Dutch didn't hear anything after he said "help you".

_The world is not going to help you._

"Shut up!" he turned to him and gave him a push hard enough to knock him to the ground. LaRusso fell backward onto the ground with a strangled groan and a blast of dust kicked up. Dutch stopped and his expression changed from anger to overwhelming guilt in a matter of seconds. LaRusso has a broken leg, for God's sake. What did?

This is the first time he really see what it does.

He is no different from the monsters that chase him.

Take a step back.

It isn't, but it can be. For the first time there is a different option. He saw it in his friends when they apologized, he saw it in Mr. Miyagi's karate. You've seen it in LaRusso, stubborn and insistent LaRusso. The thing is, can he do it? Will he get weak if do? Johnny hasn't gotten weak, has he?

"I'm sorry," he murmurs, so low that his words are probably lost in the wind.

He kneels on the ground in his expensive jeans and repeats: "Fuck LaRusso, sorry, sorry" the words burn his tongue.

"Fuck you," Daniel growls, his eyes closed and his teeth clenched. "It was my favorite sweatshirt, it must be full of dirt by now"

Dutch looks at him incredulously. He are... he are worried about the sweatshirt?

Daniel opens his eyes and looks at Dutch from the ground, straightening up. Dutch moves his hands to take his arm. LaRusso pulls away with a shudder. Dutch steps back, raising his hands.

"Sorry I was mad. My problem wasn't with you" Dutch acknowledges. He never thought he would say words like that.

"I see" LaRusso snorts. "I suppose you had the problem with the one who did that to your face"

"Yeah shit" Dutch looks away.

"You know? The only reason I'm not going to get mad is because your face will be very puffy in the morning, enough payoff for me" LaRusso scoffs. "So can we go get the medicine cabinet now?"

"You need to...?"

"I can get up alone, thank you very much" stubborn and irritating Daniel LaRusso in person. Dutch would expect no less from this idiot who challenged a group of five without blinking. Anyway, it has to move right? He stands up and sullenly offers her the crutches without saying anything about it.

_(The world is not going to help him, so he will not give the world anything)_ If LaRusso offers to help, he has learned enough honor from Mr. Miyagi (or so he hopes) to offer him a hand in return.

Apparently now it's part of what he does.

* * *

LaRusso gives him the things to clean his face. And he puts him a band in the cut on his forehead. Although he talks a lot, he doesn't ask Dutch any more questions about what happened. Smart guy. Then, the brunette bandages his own hand that was scraped by the fall, and heats up some food.

"You like pasta?" he asks Dutch casually, even though he is already serving two dishes without having heard the answer.

Dutch shrugs and devours the food, not caring too much. He glances at LaRusso as they eat, in his dirt-covered sweatshirt. The guy is skinny and small, and Dutch finds out that he hadn't noticed ( _or didn't care_ ) until now. Dutch doesn't have time for things like feeling guilty, he leaves that to Johnny and Bobby, but he silently decides one thing: Someone has to take care of this guy with superhuman ability for jump to lions. If LaRusso feeds him, Dutch guesses he can do that for him.

It will be good practice, anyway.

* * *

On Monday, Johnny approaches Daniel with a frown and grabs his bandaged hand without asking permission.

"What happened?" it does not ask, it demands to know.

LaRusso releases his grip and scowls. "A-uch" he exclaims dramatically. "I fell, okay? Do you have a problem with that?"

Johnny gulps and his gaze softens.

"Did you fall? Is your leg okay? _Are you_ okay?"

Daniel's shoulders relax too and he smiles at Johnny a bit embarrassed. "I'm whole, man. Not for you to worry about"

"I am not worried"

LaRusso laughs. "Of course Johnny, it's okay."

However, Johnny's actions contradict his words, because he spends watching Daniel the rest of the day ( _earning him an accidental kick from Tommy, by being distracted while practicing_ ). The guy is funny, Bobby thinks, who is the only one who really notices this strange change in attitude from Johnny around Daniel.

In a spare moment, Dutch walks up to LaRusso.

"Why didn't you tell Johnny?" he asks, straight to the point.

"What thing?" tilts the expression.

"That I was the one who pushed you." makes it obvious.

Daniel shrugs like it's no big deal. "Because I know you didn't do it on purpose" he answers easily. "But if you do it again, I'm going to shove this crutch up your butt, okay?" He lifts the crutch a bit and points at him with it, as if to prove his point.

Dutch laughs heartily, he can't help it. "Are you crazy man"

"Same here" LaRusso responds.

Dutch grins, all toothy and Machiavellian. "Thank you"

They both remain oblivious to the stares of Johnny, Bobby, Tommy and Jimmy, who stare at them and then stare at each other in disbelief. Since when did Dutch approach Daniel voluntarily? Since when did _he laugh_ with him?

What did they miss?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Friendships are forming little by little and the characters are undergoing some transformations (There is still a lot to solve, but I like to take it easy. Although they can always tell me if they think I'm going too slow). Also, I always imagine that Dutch could redirect that destructive energy to protect people instead of attacking them.If you have suggestions or moments that you want to see in the story, they are welcome. Thanks for reading <3


	11. "Concern and confidence"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Johnny brings Daniel home and makes a discovery that completely shakes him up. Ali has lunch at the table with all of them and some statements are made.

When everyone leaves, Johnny walks over to LaRusso and shows him the keys to the Avanti, practically shaking them in front of his face.

Daniel frowns. "Are you trying to call me like I'm a dog?"

Johnny puts the keys aside and puts them back in his pocket in one quick motion.

"Do not?"

The brunette rolls his eyes. "I'm going to get my things" he says simply, turning on the crutches to go back to the house for his backpack.

Johnny watches him go like an idiot. Why does he always look like an idiot in front of LaRusso ( _in_ _every_ _sense of that_ _word_ )? But hey, he wants to help out here, so at least he's not the complete jerk that he used to be anymore. Or so he believes. _That_ _waits_.

He has had good days, ever since he comes here. Training with Mr. Miyagi is different, but not in a bad way. He's just... free. Karate is a flame inside him that ignites and rises, and Johnny can keep it in check to make it beautiful and non-destructive. He burns and keeps him alive and he doesn't need to do harm to prove himself to him, no more. And the best thing is that his friends are here, with him, even Bobby, who was going to leave karate forever. Or Dutch. And he is not perfect. Sometimes they don't understand Mr. Miyagi, sometimes Kreese's voice is still heavy and they are choking. The difference is that they no longer need it. They no longer need Cobra Kai to tell them they are powerful.

LaRusso comes out of the house with his backpack on his shoulder. Johnny walks over to him and gently snatches the backpack from his arm.

"Hey!"

"Too slow, LaRusso," he scoffs.

"Moron"

They walk slowly through gravel, as crutches are a bit more difficult to handle on rocks than on concrete. Obviously, that doesn't stop Daniel LaRusso.

"How much more are you... going to be with those?" Johnny casually points to the crutches.

LaRusso looks at him with a pout still drawn on his soft pink lips. "I have the medical check-up in just over a week. Hopefully the doctor will say it's okay and they will remove the splint to put something smaller, so I will no longer need crutches and I can start moving without bumping into things. God, man, do you know how horrible bathing is when you have to wear this thing? It's a lot harder to put on and take off than it looks..."

Johnny stops listening and chokes a little on the air at the image of LaRusso in the shower. _What the fuck is_ _wrong_ _with you, Lawrence?_ , he hits himself mentally. He shakes his head. When he reconnects with the conversation, LaRusso is talking about a completely different topic.

"...I mean, why do you put a pool in the place if you are not going to fill it with water? It's like... torture or something like that, with the amount of degrees they make in this oven that you call San Fernando Valley"

Johnny opens the passenger door for her to enter, scowling at him. "What? You say you prefer snow, Jersey boy?"

Daniel enters in the car. Johnny takes his crutches and throws them into the back seat, then gets in the car and puts his hands on the wheel. He feels like they have a routine, like this is something they always do and not just three times counting this one ( _and it's_ _not_ _like Johnny is counting, of_ _course_ _not_ ).

"At least there the stoves worked well and they weren't decorative torture, you know?"

For the next ten minutes, they both engage in a debate the subject of San Fernando Valley v.s Newark. Before they know it, Johnny has to back off because he almost passed LaRusso's house.

"I have one, you know?" Johnny says, when LaRusso is already halfway out of the car.

The brunette turns to him with a confused expression.

"What?"

"A swimming pool, in my house"

LaRusso rolls her eyes and snorts a sharp smile.

"Of course you do"

Johnny doesn't say: I could invite you there, sometime. Because it doesn't make sense. Anyway, he wouldn't want Sid to be around LaRusso, he'd make shitty comments about his skin color or something. One time his mother hired a gardener who was of Mexican descent and it didn't matter that he was born in California, Sid was talking about _shitty immigrants_ for hours, just because the guy was dark and his name was Diego. Also, isn't the last name LaRusso like... Italian or something? Sid wouldn't shut up on that, the bastard.

"Uh, Johnny?" LaRusso shakes her hand in front of him, returning to the car to steady herself at the door and pulling him out of his thoughts.

"What's wrong, LaRusso? Did you forget something?"

"You know you don't have to bring me home right?" The brunet says, suddenly, and his words sound a little more hurried than usual, as if his tongue is racing against his brain. "You apologized, and _I forgave you_. And... And it's okay, we're close at hand, I don't owe you anything and you don't owe me anything and I don't need anything, okay? You don't need to do anything or you prove anything. Mr. Miyagi said so. You know, you're fine and you don't need to do anything you don't want to do, I can handle myself very well on my own and i don't want to-"

Johnny makes a face, because he hates serious conversations and has a very useful philosophy which is to avoid them at all costs, but he can't avoid this one, because LaRusso has the wrong idea and Johnny can't let him stay like this, thinking he's shit it's charity or whatever. And it isn't, okay? Yes, Johnny feels guilt turning his stomach even after all, and yes, he feels like he owes debt, but he doesn't bring him home because of that, it's not why he paid his bills, it's not just that he feels he owes it to him, is that _he cares about_ _him_.

Fuck, _he cares_ about LaRusso.

What the fuck?

_When_ _?_

He can't tell her that, or any of the things that he thought and that he just discovered he makes like... half a second. So what comes out of his mouth is:

"Fuck, LaRusso, _don't you need to do_ _anything_ _you don't want to do?_ Really? You're talking to me like I'm a child about to lose her virginity" is the stupidest thing I could have said, but it's familiar ground to Johnny, and apparently, also for LaRusso, because he chokes a little on the words and then his expression changes to a habitual one, rolling his eyes and raising his head haughtily.

"Fuck you, Johnny" he says, but there is no real annoyance behind his words.

Johnny contains a smile.

"I always do things because I want to, LaRusso, _always_ " he affirms. He is vague enough that he doesn't have to acknowledge anything, and at the same time is specific enough that he understands perfectly. "You better than anyone should know"

"Okay, of course, I almost forgot that you think you are... the king of California or something. "LaRusso rolls his eyes, but he's smiling.

Johnny bites his lower lip and looks away. Despite his apparent calm, the newly revealed brain of his is wreaking havoc on his system.

"Bye Johnny, thanks for the ride"

The blonde gulps and says goodbye with a nod of the head, pulling away in the Avanti as quickly as possible. He doesn't like the way he starts to get comfortable with LaRusso. Or maybe if she likes him, which would be absolutely worse.

* * *

At lunch, they sit around LaRusso as usual, but Johnny is so lost in thought about his conversation with the brunet the day before that he doesn't notice Ali is sitting there too until it's too late and there's no way to run away.

Her gaze meets hers. Ali's gaze is icy but also curious, and he doesn't know what to do about it, should she say hello? Maybe apologize? In the end, he just gulps and says nothing, ashamed of himself as he holds the spoon tightly. Then she looks away from Johnny and watches everyone else in the gang as if she scans them in detail, and finally looks at Daniel, who quietly eats his mashed potatoes without noticing a thing.

"Are you sure they're not bothering you again?" she asks her, as if they weren't literally right there, listening to her.

And that's it. Daniel didn't tell she anything? He didn't tell her that they have been training with Mr. Miyagi? None about the apology? Aren't LaRusso and Ali supposed to be good friends? Aren't you supposed to tell your friends about important things?

Unless for LaRusso this is not...

"Hey!" Jimmy complains to Ali.

Dutch huffs, gorged on mashed potatoes, while Tommy and Bobby seem to have been physically hit by Ali's good right hook _(Johnny_ _knows_ _what she's_ _talking_ _about, well? He's_ _experienced_ _it_ ).

However, LaRusso just laughs. A bit of mashed potatoes stains the corner of his lip and Johnny has to suppress the idea of wiping it with his thumb, because that would be fucking weird and would make no fucking sense and _what the hell is_ _wrong_ _with you,_ _brain_ _?_

"I told you they train with Mr. Miyagi now" _(so he_ _did_ _tell Ali_ _after_ _all)_ Daniel says, wiping his mouth with his napkin. "They have changed, Ali. And if Mr. Miyagi trusts them, so do I"

Of course, LaRusso is as open as ever. And the way he says it, so casual and confident and sincere, as if he's talking about something as normal as the weather of the day...

LaRusso trusts them. He stands up for them in front of Ali, after everything that happened, what they did to him, and it doesn't even seem like he tries to do it.

He is _crazy_.

Really crazy.

Fuck that big-mouthed little idiot.

Johnny thinks he might be choking on his saliva right now because... hell, he doesn't even understand why, but he feels important somehow, and not just to him: Bobby's smile is so wide it must hurt, Jimmy and Tommy exchange a surprised look followed by a small smile, and Dutch just shakes his head when he looks at LaRusso, as if to say: _I don't know what the hell is_ _wrong_ _with this_ _guy_ _, but that's okay, I_ _respect_ _him_.

"And anyway, I can defend myself really well and kick their butt if they try anything." LaRusso adds, as if lightening the mood.

There's a chorus of laughter and a couple of incredulous exclamations from the boys.

"Did they tell you you're a bigmouth, LaRusso?" Dutch raises his eyebrows in his direction.

"Only a few hundred times" LaRusso shrugs gracefully.

Johnny finally smiles. "You hold yourself in high regard, right? To believe you could beat us" he jokes.

"I was able to with you, right?" LaRusso responds without missing a beat, his fucking self-centered pose of his.

"UhUhUh" Tommy makes the background sounds.

"Beginner's luck," Johnny replies.

When he looks back at Ali, she is smiling strangely as she looks at them, as if she sees something they don't. It's a small smile and still a bit suspicious, but it doesn't seem like she's going to murder them with her eyes anymore, so it's a good thing.

"Well then that's enough for me too" he finally states. Her bright smile elicits nothing from Johnny but familiar affection. There is no desire, no heat, no love, and he discovers that he is completely fine with it.

She stays to eat with them. Johnny talks to her that day, after school. He apologizes for everything that happened and she does too. They hug and _he's fine_ , Johnny feels good, as if he had closed an open door and the cold that crept through the opening no longer entered.

In the afternoon, the training with Mr. Miyagi is good and Johnny feels light and great. He even he asks LaRusso questions about the Bonsáis.

It seems they are accomplishing something good here, after all.

Johnny must have known that good things don't last long, not for him, at least.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, it seems that the guys have been approved by Ali u.u In the next there will be a little bit of anguish and something important will happen, let's call it a kind of step to a "next level" in the relationship between the ex-cobras and Daniel.
> 
> Track: Kreese.
> 
> Suggestions are always welcome. Thank you for reading! <3

**Author's Note:**

> Once this thought was in my head, I couldn't give it up: Daniel needs good friends, and the Cobras need someone in their group with true emotional intelligence (and Johnny and Daniel are obviously right for each other). Also, don't tell me you haven't thought about how great it would have been if Mr. Miyagi had taken in the cobras after the tournament.


End file.
